The investigation into the murder of Cuban artist José Manuel Carvajal Zaldívar, more commonly known as El Taiger, saw a breakthrough on Tuesday with the arrest of a long-sought "person of interest" in New York City by police.
As reported by Telemundo in Miami and Univision in New York, police detained Damián Valdéz-Galloso three weeks after authorities called on the public to help locate him.
Valdéz-Galloso's name had been mentioned by Miami police since October 4, a day after El Taiger was found dying in the trunk of a car with a gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities have not clarified if they consider him a suspect or simply a witness, but they've confirmed that Valdéz-Galloso has been on the run since then.
Confirman el arresto en Nueva York de Damián Valdéz, la persona de interés en el asesinato de El Taiger que se encontraba desaparecido tras el crimenhttps://t.co/JBrfaeJmi6
— CubaCute_Noticias (@CubaCuteNotice) October 29, 2024
What happened to El Taiger?
The Havana native remained in intensive care at the trauma center of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital after being shot for a week. It wasn't until October 10, exactly a week later, that he was pronounced dead, never regaining consciousness. During his ordeal, fans in Cuba and abroad held vigils and prayer sessions for his recovery and good health.
After his death, El Taiger's remains were cremated, and his ashes were sent to Cuba, where most of his family resides.
@micheltower6 Primeras imajenes del ataud del taiger #eltaiger #noticias #fyp
♬ Alzo Mi Voz (feat. Tercer Cielo) - Tito "El Bambino"
Last Saturday, a group of Cuban artists led by Descemer Bueno paid tribute to El Taiger, performing his music at the iHeart Radio Fiesta Latina festival in Miami's Kaseya Center.
@jessica1984g Conmovido homenaje al tiger en el concierto en miami🥲🥹🙏#concertnight #iheartradio2024 @EL TAIGER #cubanosporelmundo🇨🇺 #fypシ
♬ original sound - 🌈🦋J€$$IC@🏳️🌈✨
The Murder Investigation
According to Miami authorities, Valdéz-Galloso is a resident of Hialeah, a city in Miami-Dade County with a large Cuban population. Police sources revealed his name appeared last in El Taiger's phone records, and he allegedly paid for the hotel room where the artist spent his final night.
Details of his arrest or his current standing with police remain unknown. However, authorities hope his statements will shed light on what happened before El Taiger was shot in the head, placed in a vehicle, and abandoned near the hospital.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
