Several cars from Miami-Dade police and South Miami police showed up at her home, after surveillance video identified her. Miami-Dade police cited her for “leaving the scene of an accident,” which is a misdemeanor. The police reports referred to the incident as a hit-and-run and estimated the “minor” damage at $500.

“That was not a hit-and-run. It doesn't even compare,” Walter Harris said. “And there was no reason why my name had to be in the report. I wasn’t involved.”

In recent weeks, the political animosity in South Miami has taken a turn for the worse. Welsh recently told The Miami Herald he didn’t like the police chief’s “sociolismo” ways. The word is a play on two words in Spanish: “socio,” which means “associate” and “socialismo,” which means socialism. The chief was born in Cuba and moved to Miami after Fidel Castro came into power.

“ ‘Sociolismo’ is in ‘Cubaniche.’ It means he is going to his buddies for this, and going to his buddies for that,” Welsh said.

Welsh, also known as Bicycle Bob, said that since he took office last year he has been afraid of doing things like talking about “strategy” with political activists on his cell phone for fear that the chief has him under surveillance, although he has no concrete evidence.

Welsh has repeatedly said that he doesn’t like that Martinez de Castro is friends with convicted felon Camilo Padreda, a former Batista agent in Cuba and former FBI informant. Last year, the city signed off on a contract with Padreda’s daughter’s business to install new carpets. And although city staff did not have any evidence of collusion, Welsh and Stoddard were suspicious.

Commissioners Valerie Newman, who Padreda supported during her campaign, and Vice Mayor Joshua Liebman are supportive of the chief. Meanwhile, Martinez de Castro has chosen not to attend commission meetings for months and has hired two attorneys, one to handle the ethics case and another to deal with his treatment at the city. Brickell attorney Paul Totten said he has been observing commission meetings on behalf of the chief.

"I am not a politician. In serving the community, I have tried to stay out of the political process," Martinez de Castro said in a statement. "While it is difficult to understand the way things have unfolded, my main concern is continuing to uphold my oath and my duty to serve the City of South Miami as the Chief of Police. That is the job that I was hired for and that is the job I will continue to do."

His contract expires Oct. 19, 2015.

Follow reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter.