MIAMI (WSVN) - A man charged in the killing of a popular reggaeton rapper who called South Florida home has opted against taking a plea dea, causing a monthslong delay in his trial.
Damián Valdez-Galloso was expected to take a plea deal on Tuesday in connection to the fatal shooting of José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, better known by his stage name, El Taiger. Instead, the suspect has opted to maintain his not guilty plea.
As a result, Valdez-Galloso’s trial, which was set to begin this fall, has been pushed to 2027.
The defendant appeared in a Miami courtroom Tuesday morning to face the Cuban artist’s loved ones, each of them wearing “Justice for El Taiger” T-shirts.
