Miami commissioner’s office ransacked in apparent City Hall break-in
Miami police are investigating a possible break-in at City Hall after Commissioner Manolo Reyes’ office was found ransacked Monday morning.
Reyes told the Miami Herald that when a staffer arrived to work Monday morning, he found the commissioner’s office “in total disarray,” with papers shuffled around, drawers left open and framed photos out of place. The staffer called Reyes, who said he had not been to the office during the weekend.
“Someone wanted me to know they were there,” Reyes said. “If they’re trying to create fear, they’re wasting their time. If they were looking for something, all they had to do was ask me.”
Miami police with knowledge of the incident in Reyes’ office said there was no evidence of a physical break-in — either through a window or a locked door — and that it doesn’t seem as if anything was stolen.
Read more: Here’s what a Miami commissioner’s office looked like after a reported break-in
There are no surveillance cameras installed inside City Hall’s corridors. Cameras were updated outside the building in recent years.
Officer Kiara Delva, a public information officer, told reporters that detectives were investigating a “reported unauthorized entry into one of our city officials’ offices.”
“As always, we will remind the community that our top priority is the safety of not only our city residents, but of our city employees as well, which is why our detectives are going to continue to work around the clock, and do their investigation so they can locate the person or persons responsible for this incident,” Delva said.
Monday is election day in the city of Miami, where voters are set to select the next District 2 commissioner. District 2 includes City Hall, which is a voting precinct, and Reyes’ office is near the voting area.
Voters streamed in Monday morning as cops and police dogs entered Reyes’ office to investigate. City Hall was also open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for early voting.
Reyes said he doesn’t think the incident has anything to do with the election because it would be “illogical.”
“I’m not running, and I’m not supporting anybody,” Reyes said. “The message was for me, I think.”
Reyes, who represents District 4, is up for reelection this year. He recently filed paperwork to open a campaign account and raise political contributions. So far, no one else has filed to run against Reyes.
This breaking news will be updated when more information is available.
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This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 1:31 PM.
