Person of Interest in El Taiger's Murder Arrested in New York

In Spanish

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.

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.

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.

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.