Coral Gables mayor cleared of assaulting city manager in ‘incident’ at City Hall
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation has found that Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago did not assault City Manager Amos Rojas Jr. during an “incident” between the two men at City Hall in June.
The FDLE had been investigating a complaint by Rojas, a retired FDLE agent, that Lago assaulted him during a meeting, according to a close-out memo from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office acquired by the Miami Herald. In the memo, signed last week, prosecutors agreed with the FDLE’s conclusion that “the facts did not meet the elements of an assault” and said the matter was now closed.
The memo indicates that the incident was at one point being investigated as a second-degree misdemeanor assault, a crime in Florida that can carry a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
Lago did not respond to a request for comment from the Herald. Rojas did not respond to an email sent to him and city spokesperson Martha Pantin. Pantin declined to comment on the matter other than to confirm that the investigation was closed and that no charges had been filed.
The FDLE’s investigative report states that Lago asked Rojas and Assistant City Manager Alberto Parjus to stick around after a June 3 meeting about the city’s art procurement process to continue discussing city business. According to sworn statements from all three, the situation became contentious, and the mayor began openly criticizing the city manager.
Rojas testified that the mayor called him incompetent and said that he didn’t like Rojas. Rojas added that after he told Lago that they would have to find a way to work together, the mayor became enraged.
“Lago’s face turned red, and he jumped out of his chair, ripped off his jacket, and threw it on the back of his chair all while saying something to the effect of ‘I’m a man, be a man’ but in an aggressive tone,” Rojas said, according to a summary of his statement included in the investigative report.
Rojas further testified that Lago began unbuttoning his shirtsleeves and making a fist. “I was in fear,” Rojas said. Rojas added that as he left the room, Lago called him a coward.
Parjus, the assistant city manager, said he heard Lago call Rojas a coward but did not see the mayor making a fist.
Lago, who testified to criticizing the city manager during the meeting, denied the allegation of assault. He said he removed his jacket because of issues with his office’s air conditioning. He also testified that the city manager was acting aggressively and standing over him during the argument.
All three said that when Lago stood up and removed his jacket, Rojas asked the mayor if he was going to hit him. Lago testified that he responded, “That’s exactly what you would want.”
According to Parjus, Lago removed his jacket, folded it and put it on his chair. Parjus said the mayor remained five or six feet away from the city manager and “never got in the face or within close proximity of Rojas.” He also said Lago never made verbal threats toward the city manager.
When asked if he believed what he witnessed was an assault, Parjus said, “No, it didn’t look like an assault.”
A spokesperson for the Coral Gables Police Department said Wednesday morning that she could not comment on the matter because the FDLE had not yet confirmed to the department that the investigation was closed. The FDLE did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
Lago and Rojas have clashed since the city manager’s appointment in February. Rojas was appointed just two weeks after the city commission voted to fire then-City Manager Peter Iglesias, whom the mayor supported.
Rojas was named the new city manager in a narrow 3-2 vote, with Lago voting against the hire. The mayor claimed that Rojas’ appointment violated Florida’s Sunshine Law, something Rojas has denied.
The incident between Lago and Rojas at City Hall took place during a year of political turmoil for Lago and drew attention to divisions within the city’s leadership structure. An effort to recall Lago as mayor, which fell short by 120 signatures in April, further stoked divisions.
In a statement in June, Lago called the incident at City Hall an example of “political theater” on the part of the city manager. In his own statement, Rojas said at that time that he has “always strived to work in a collegial manner with my colleagues and superiors,” declining to comment on the incident itself.
This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 12:39 PM.
