Week after reported City Hall break-in, police called to Manolo Reyes’ district office
Someone tried to break into a city-owned pickup truck parked outside Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes’ office early Monday, according to police.
One week after police say someone broke into Reyes’ City Hall office and apparently rummaged through his papers and belongings, one of Reyes’ staffers saw something unusual when he reported to work Monday morning at the District 4 office at Coral Gate Park. There were large scratches on the driver side window, and the rubber seal was damaged. The Chevy Silverado has Reyes’ name and ”District 4” emblazoned on the sides.
An employee called Reyes shortly after 9 a.m., while Reyes was in a meeting with U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart to discuss funding for senior housing and drainage projects in the district. Reyes told his staff to call the police, who arrived within 15 minutes. Investigators took fingerprints and pulled security camera footage.
Kiara Delva, a Miami police spokeswoman, told reporters that a man walked up to the front of the district office in early morning hours and appeared to look inside through glass doors and windows. He tried to open two doors. Delva said he then walked over to a Chevy Silverado parked in front of the building, pulled a shovel out of a holster fastened to the back of the cab, and tried to use the shovel to open the truck’s driver side door.
He returned the shovel to the bed of the truck before walking away. Delva said it’s not yet known if the incident is related to the break-in at Reyes’ City Hall office.
“At this time, our burglary detectives are on scene and they are working to determine whether or not the two cases from this time and last time are going to be connected to each other,” Delva said. “At this time, it is too soon to tell if it’s going to be involving the same suspect or suspects. But that is a part of the ongoing investigation.”
Delva said the surveillance footage would not be released immediately because it is part of an ongoing investigation.
Reyes, speaking hours before a groundbreaking for a drainage project three miles away in his district, said he doesn’t know if Monday’s incident has anything to do with the City Hall break-in, but he said it will unfortunately fuel speculation.
“Heaven knows,” Reyes said, sounding exasperated. “It could be a coincidence, but it lends itself to speculation.”
Reyes and Delva did have any updates on the investigation into the City Hall incident.
Reyes had a new door installed in his office on Friday, and he is sponsoring a plan to install security cameras inside City Hall at Thursday’s commission meeting.
This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 2:42 PM.
