MIAMI — The man accused of killing Cuban reggaeton artist Jose Manuel Carbajal Zadivar, known professionally as El Taiger, could face a newly upgraded charge.
Damian Valdez-Galloso, 49, is now facing first-degree murder pending a grand jury after appearing in court on Wednesday. He had previously been charged with second-degree murder. Last week, Valdez-Galloso’s attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told CBS News Miami in a statement that in Florida, only a grand jury can charge a first-degree murder.
“If such a direction is planned, a presentation must be made to the Miami-Dade Grand Jury at their weekly meeting and the Grand Jury must decide that such a charge is appropriate,” the Miami-Dade SAO stated.
Additionally, his arraignment has been postponed to Dec. 19.
The murder of El Taiger
The case of El Taiger’s murder has drawn widespread attention, as he was a prominent figure in the reggaeton music scene, leaving fans and loved ones mourning the loss of the artist.
On Oct. 3, El Taiger was found in the back of an SUV with a gunshot wound to his head in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, near Jackson Memorial Hospital. However, police said he was shot at a home on SE 5th St. in Hialeah, where Valdez-Galloso was renting.
Miami-Dade Corrections
According to state officials, Valdez-Galloso shot El Taiger in Hialeah and then left him inside the SUV found near JMH. Despite life-saving efforts, the reggaeton artist died from his injuries.
CBS News Miami obtained surveillance video of the shooting, which showed El Taiger arriving at the Hialeah home and standing in front of the door. At that moment, a verbal exchange occurred before he was shot in the head and collapsed moments later.
The video then showed Valdez-Galloso leaving the home and dragging the reggaeton artist’s lifeless body by the ankles. Hours later, El Taiger was found in the SUV.
Valdez-Galloso wasn’t found until Oct. 29 after a multi-agency effort led to his arrest in New York City, where he had been charged with failure to register as a sex offender and as a fugitive from justice. He was then extradited to Miami on the previous second-degree murder charge.
