Hialeah man faces second-degree murder – NBC 6 South Florida

A Hialeah man arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger has been held in the Miami-Dade County Jail and now faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder.

Damian Valdez-Galloso, 49, was arrested in New York City last week by Miami police in collaboration with the NYPD and the US Marshals Service.

He was being held on an extradition warrant from another state for violations related to failure to register as a sex offender. He is now charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, attempted tampering with physical evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to online jail records Wednesday.

Police announced earlier this month that Valdez-Galloso was wanted for questioning in connection with the singer's shooting.

“Thank God they were able to find him,” said Teresa Padron, El Taiger’s manager and friend. “We can resolve this matter once and for all and hope the police can release the video so we can understand what happened that night.”

El Taiger, 37, whose real name was Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, was found unresponsive from a gunshot wound in the back seat of an SUV near Northwest 9th Avenue and 17th Street on Oct. 3.

He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in extremely critical condition and died of his injuries days later on October 10.

Morales said it is believed the Valdez-Galloso singer was fatally shot at Valdez-Galloso's home in Hialeah and that Hialeah police are involved in the investigation.

“I know there is a lot of speculation that El Taiger may have been tortured before. “I mean, this is a terrible crime and his life was taken in an unlawful manner, but there is no evidence that he was tortured in any way before he was killed,” said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales.

No other suspects are being sought in the shooting, Morales said.

Records show Valdez-Galloso has a criminal history and is a registered sex offender after having sex with a minor. He also served a prison sentence for false imprisonment and was arrested three years ago for grand larceny in Broward.