Daniel John Valtier, a 56-year-old man from El Paso, Texas, was arrested last Monday outside the mansion of the renowned singer Shakira in Miami Beach. Authorities acted in response to accusations of harassment by Valtier, who claimed to be in a relationship with the Colombian artist.
The arrested man had been sending disturbing gifts, such as wine, chocolate and toys, to the singer’s residence from late December to early 2024. In addition, he publicly shared multiple posts on social media that, according to his security team, were delivered to authorities on January 3. These posts detailed an imaginary relationship with the singer and sparked concern among security personnel.
Valtier showed up outside Shakira’s home just five days after her security team reported on her online activities. He arrived in a taxi at 12:45 a.m., at which time he was detained by local authorities. The arrested man was brought to court on Tuesday, where he declared that he could not comply with the order to stay away from Shakira, stating: “She is my wife, I talk to her all the time.”
During the hearing, it was revealed that Shakira’s security team had asked Valtier to stop sending gifts and posting details about the singer online. However, concerns increased when the alleged stalker posted a photo of a motel business card in Florida on Instagram, along with a claim to have visited the artist’s home in Miami Beach.
Daniel John Valtier has a criminal record dating back to 1988. He was arrested on several charges, including drugs, aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated and public intoxication. Valtier now faces charges of harassment and renting a vehicle with intent to defraud for not paying a $70 fee.
At the hearing, prosecutors requested a fine of $50,000, but the judge, given the defendant’s claims about his relationship with Shakira, doubled the bail to $100,000 and issued a restraining order. In fact, the magistrate reminded him during the trial that Shakira was not his partner: “no, sir, no sir, she is not his wife, she is not his wife.”
Miami Beach police spokesman Christopher Bess said that the situation was worrying and that it was “a very unique incident,” since the arrested person resides in Texas and traveled to Miami, in the state of Florida (2035, 14 km, approximately), “only to have contact with the victim.”
“We don’t know what he intended to do with her, if his intention was to harm her, that’s why we were able to arrest him before he contacted her,” Bess stated.
