The man accused of gunning down Cuban reggaeton star José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, known as El Taiger, was apprehended in New York, Miami police confirmed Wednesday. Authorities say they are ready to throw the book at the alleged murderer and seek maximum charges.
Damian Valdez-Galloso was arrested Tuesday in Brooklyn by federal marshals on an out-of-state warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said.
Zaldívar, a singer who amassed over a million Instagram followers and over 385 million YouTube views during his career, was found shot on October 4. After a month-long investigation, Miami detectives concluded Valdez-Galloso was the shooter, Morales said.
The reggaeton singer was shot in a Hialeah home and then driven to Miami, where his body was found. Zaldívar succumbed to his injuries and died on October 10.
Police do not believe there are any other suspects in this case and said online claims that Zaldívar was tortured before his death were false.
Valdez-Galloso will be extradited to Miami to face charges for the murder. It’s unclear when he will be moved or what charges he’ll face.
However, Morales said the police department is working closely with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to seek “the absolute charges that are required to hold Damian responsible for the incident….”
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