Almost three months after it happened, the investigation into the alleged aggravated assault by Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago against City Manager Amos Rojas at City Hall has been closed — and sources say, no evidence wad found that there were any real threats of violence.
According to people on both sides of the June incident — and a city official who confirmed the “case was closed” — the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ended the investigation recently and no charges will be filed. Apparently, while the mayor allegedly took off his jacket, threw it on the floor and got into a fighting stance during a June 4 meeting with the city manager, detectives could not make the case that an actual threat had taken place.
Maybe Lago was just acting.
Read related: Coral Gables Internal Affairs check out mayor’s ‘assault’ incident at City Hall
But did anybody investigate the cause for the altercation? That might be more important. What set Lago off?
Ladra has heard from multiple City Hall sources that Lago got mad when Rojas refused to let him singlehandedly pick an artist — and a specific art gallery — for an Art in Public Places project and, rather, told him that everyone had to go through the competitive committee process.
This apparently irked him. After all, he didn’t need a competitive process to put his clock on Miracle Mile (btw, the date has been changed for the unveiling from 9/11 to 09/12).
Lago, as usual, did not return multiple calls and texts to both his phones. The only response was one telling me not to contact him on his personal phone but to use the city phone. Well, everyone knows that he uses his personal phone for city business and Ladra has old text messages from 2021 and 2022 that prove that.
Ben Kuehne, an attorney that represented Lago at the beginning of the investigation, declined to return calls or text for comment. Kuehne also represents Carollo.
Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak could not be reached for comment and did not return calls and texts.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago attacks colleagues, manager in citywide email
Henry Bell, an attorney for Rojas, responded via email to a request for comment. “At this time, we have no comment. Should Mr. Lago, however, comment, that may change.”
One of Lago’s lackeys, his own contracting firm’s employee Nicolas Cabrera — at Hammer Lake Construction and Design, which Lago started with Norman Anthony “Tony” Newell in 2022 — is going around telling people that the manager lied and that nothing happened. But that’s clearly not the case.
Because if this were the good news that the mayor’s dwindling supporters wanted, then Lago would have surely blasted a message on social media by now declaring the whole thing “political theater” and beating his chest like he likes to do.
Instead, crickets. That probably means the investigative report doesn’t make him look like an angel.
Of course, Ladra asked for the close-out memo and affidavits taken or investigative documents that I can get as a public record. Of particular interest will be any statement made by Assistant City Manager Albert Parjus, was also reportedly in the room when the confrontation happened.
Stay tuned.
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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is cleared in City Hall ‘assault’ inquiry added by Ladra on
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[…] he got, and there was even a near scuffle in a conference room that was investigated by police. No cause for criminal charges were found, but that’s only because both Rojas and Parjus said that they didn’t really think the […]
“Apparently, while the mayor allegedly took off his jacket…”
Sloppy writing. There is nothing apparent in the allegation save for the fact it was an allegation.
This story is nothing without “alleged,” According to,” and “apparently.”
It is weird that our city manager, whose sole qualification for hiring was his law enforcement résumé, would pursue so flimsy a case.
Thank you Ladra. Thank for your good work. If is not for you we will not have any information. I hope we will get rid of the stupid mayor next year.
Thank you.
I expect Parjus will corroborate Mr Rojas.
I hoped for criminal charges, but did not expect them.
I find it shocking, and important, that Nick Cabrera works for Lago’s company.
The mayor is cleared of assault inquiry. Of course he was. People have ganged up of Mayor Lago. He is an effective civic leader. That is what is important to me.
Hope we can get back to governing as well as a modified charter that requires a Commissioner be a property owner. Renters can vote but they should not have a seat on the Commission as they have no skin in the game!!