Three Miami-area political candidates had trouble with guns. What happened in each case
Three candidates in separate Miami-Dade political races have been under fire the last few months for gun troubles.
First, Miami Beach mayoral candidate Mike Grieco left a bag — with a loaded gun inside — unattended while at a park.
Then, it was revealed that David V. Suarez, who’s running for a seat on the Miami Beach City Commission, was ordered by a judge in 2020 to turn over his concealed weapons permit and at least a dozen guns.
And now, Frank Pichel, a former cop running for a Miami City Commission seat, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm for allegedly pulling a gun on an opponent’s campaign worker.
The details in the three incidents differ. Although only one ended with criminal charges, they all raise questions about the aspiring public officials — and how the allegations deviate from their campaign messaging. Another candidate embroiled in similar troubles was Alfredo “Freddy’ Ramirez III, who in September dropped out of the race for Miami-Dade sheriff, weeks after witnesses at a hotel reported him waving a gun before shooting himself in his vehicle along a highway near Tampa.
Here’s what to know about the three recent cases:
Greico case
In August, a woman found a black cross-body bag on a bench at the South Pointe Park dog park. She brought the bag, which held a loaded Glock 43 handgun, to the Miami Beach police station, telling an officer she had “done [her] good deed for the day.”
READ MORE: ‘It was my fault’: Miami Beach mayoral candidate takes blame for leaving gun unattended
Mike Grieco, a former prosecutor who said he’s a permitted gun owner, initially claimed that the bag was “stolen.” He later said it was “snatched” by a thief. Grieco was then “en route to the police station to file an official report when [he] received a call that the bag and its contents were mostly accounted for.”
During his campaign, Grieco has slammed Florida’s new permitless carry law, which allows a person to carry a gun without a permit or training in the state. He even said the change meant “more guns on the street putting first responders and everyone else in danger.”
Suarez case
In early October, the Miami Herald reported that David V. Suarez was asked to temporarily surrender his guns after photographs showed his young child “in close proximity to a variety of different weapons while in the care of his father,” according to court records.
READ MORE: Miami Beach candidate had to turn over guns after claim they weren’t stored safely
However, Suarez testified in his Broward County divorce and custody case that all of his guns were locked and that the image of his child only showed a part of a gun on the floor.
Suarez, who has stressed cracking down on crime as part of his platform, complied with the judge’s order and handed over seven handguns and five “long guns,” including an AR-15, his concealed weapons permit, ammunition and other firearm components, according to court records.
Pichel case
On Sunday, Frank Pichel was allegedly involved in an argument over an election sign at or near the Pearl Apartment complex on Northwest 17th Avenue and 33rd Street in Allapattah. Police say video showed Pichel taking his gun from his waistband, racking it and holding it at his side.
READ MORE: Miami City Commission candidate facing gun charge after argument over campaign signs
A witness told officers they saw Pichel pulling out and throwing around campaign yard signs supporting his opponent Alex Díaz de la Portilla, the incumbent commissioner who was booted from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month after being arrested on public corruption charges.
According to the witness, Pichel, when approached by a campaign worker, said in Spanish, “I’ll shoot you and nothing is going to happen to me because I used to be a police officer.”
Miami Herald staff writers Aaron Leibowitz and Chuck Rabin contributed to this report
