Evelyn, who claims to be the aunt by marriage of Damián Valdez-Galloso, the accused murderer of Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger, has sent a pointed message to the late artist's former manager. She argues that the effort to gather signatures in an attempt to alter the charges against her nephew is futile. "I want to take this opportunity to send a message to Teresa: If you hear this message (it's likely, since people on TikTok are like a pack, just waiting to pounce and criticize)," Evelyn stated in a video shared by the Instagram account Papel en Cara.
In the video, Evelyn continues, "If it's proven that Damián is facing a first-degree charge, fine. But not because people write little letters and apply pressure. No, Tere, no, you're wasting your time. This path is very long. You started it now, and I would like to see you reach the end, because it's a long road, believe me, we're talking about years," she emphasized.
Background of the Petition Effort
Since November 8, supporters of El Taiger have initiated a signature collection campaign, urging the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office to escalate the charges against Damián Valdez-Galloso to first-degree murder. Teresa Padrón, El Taiger's manager, shared the link to this petition on her Instagram profile, encouraging people to "please sign and share the petition so that justice is served for José."
The petition requests that the current second-degree murder charge be upgraded to first-degree murder, a point that was even questioned by Judge Mindy S. Glazer during the accused's first court appearance, where bail was denied.
The Push for Justice
"José was taken from his family, including his four children, under brutal and premeditated circumstances. However, the current second-degree murder charge does not fully reflect the severity and intent of this crime. This classification undermines the loss suffered by José Manuel Carvajal's family, friends, and community, and we ask that Damián Valdez-Galloso be held appropriately accountable," the petition states.