Daddy Yankee imposter robs singer of $2.3m in jewellery from hotel room
Man tricks hotel employee into opening safe in singer’s room by pretending to be the reggaeton star
Daddy Yankee, the singer of global smash hit Despacito, has been robbed of more than $2m (£1.6m) in jewellery by an impersonator.
According to the BBC, Spanish newspaper Las Provincias reported that a man posing as Daddy Yankee phoned staff at the hotel where the performer was staying at in Valencia, Spain, and told them to open the room's safe.
The 41-year-old musical artist, real name Ramon Luis Ayala, was not present at the time of the robbery - in which $2,500 (£2,000) cash was also taken in the hotel room.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The reggaeton star's representatives Nevarez PR confirmed the robbery in a Twitter post in Spanish.
The post says a law firm has been hired, and they will make no further statements so as not to hinder the police investigation.
Reportedly two rooms were robbed, one with the safe containing the jewels and the other with thousands of dollars in cash.
Authorities will utilise “security footage and the guest list at the establishment - as well as seek fingerprints for forensics experts - in their probe in the robbery of the San Juan, Puerto Rico native”, says the Daily Mail.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Daddy Yankee and his team “asked the hotel to contact authorities upon their return to the room, leading multiple branches of law enforcement to respond and interview both hotel employees as well as Daddy Yankee and two people with him”, adds the paper.
The thieves wore gloves and didn't leave behind physical evidence for investigators to follow up on, Las Provincias reported.
Despite the theft, Daddy Yankee will continue his tour with a performance in Martigues, France on Thursday night.
Despacito is the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, with over five billion views to date.
-
Climate change could lead to a reptile ‘sexpocalypse’Under the radar The gender gap has hit the animal kingdom
-
7 hotels known for impeccable serviceThe Week Recommends Your wish is their command
-
6 inviting homes with event spacesFeature Featuring a Vermont compound with an airstrip and Virginia farm with a party barn
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians