Coral Gables police investigating ‘incident’ between mayor and city manager at City Hall

Coral Gables police are investigating an “incident” between Mayor Vince Lago and City Manager Amos Rojas Jr.

In a press release Wednesday, Police Chief Ed Hudak said the department’s Internal Affairs unit is investigating “an incident at City Hall” after being notified this week.

Hudak said the investigation is “open and active” and that no further comments will be made until the investigation’s conclusion.

Hudak’s statement did not name the specific individuals involved. However, sources familiar with the matter said the incident in question took place between Lago and Rojas.

“There was an incident yesterday in City Hall with the mayor and city manager,” Commissioner Melissa Castro told the Miami Herald. She said she was advised by the City Attorney’s Office not to provide further details.

Lago issued a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“I categorically refute any allegation regarding an altercation at city hall,” Lago said in a text message, adding that the assistant city manager was a “witness” who could corroborate Lago’s accounting. Deputy City Manager Alberto Parjus did not respond to questions about the matter from the Herald, referring a reporter to Hudak’s statement.

It is unclear what prompted the incident.

“This is nothing more than political theater from a city manager who was appointed by clearly violating the state’s Sunshine Law and who has proven to be unprepared - and uninterested - in tackling the serious issues affecting our city,” Lago added.

Rojas was appointed city manager by a 3-2 vote in February. Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson voted against Rojas’ hiring, saying their colleagues hadn’t followed the proper hiring process.

Rojas, who previously served as the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Florida, also issued a statement Wednesday.

“In my more than four decades of law enforcement management experience, I have always strived to work in a collegial manner with my colleagues and superiors,” Rojas told the Herald. “Any innuendo that the Sunshine Law was violated is simply untrue.”

“As to the incident,” Rojas continued, “as the Police Chief has stated, the matter is under investigation and I am unable to provide further comment.”

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Two weeks before Rojas was appointed city manager, the commission had voted to fire City Manager Peter Iglesias, again by a 3-2 vote in which Lago and Anderson voted to keep Iglesias. Lago said his colleagues voted to fire Iglesias over “personal vendettas.”

The commission had not publicly discussed Rojas as a possible replacement for Iglesias before he appeared in the chambers at the meeting during which he was hired. Lago, Anderson and Castro all appeared surprised at that meeting, saying they had not heard of Rojas before.

Lago, who survived a recall attempt earlier this year, in his statement Wednesday accused Rojas of being part of a recent effort to “destabilize our city,” which he said began a year ago. Last April, Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez defeated two Lago-endorsed candidates for City Commission. The pair formed an alliance, later courting Commissioner Kirk Menendez to be a tiebreaker vote on multiple controversial issues.

Rojas challenged the mayor’s characterization, saying he is “proud to serve as the City Manager for the City of Coral Gables and am working diligently with our dedicated team of professionals to tackle issues our city is facing.”