Bomb Squad Called After Man Seen Under Commissioner's SUV

MIAMI BEACH, FL — A man was spotted under an SUV used by one of Miami Beach's elected commissioners on Friday, sending officers with K-9s and the county bomb squad into action.

"We received a call just before 11:45 in the morning from a security guard at city hall who advised he saw a white male underneath one of the parked vehicle," Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department told Patch. "When he approached the male, the male ran off."

The SUV was used by Miami Beach Commissioner John Elizabeth Alemán, who told Patch that she was in her office at the time.

"I was conducting a meeting in my office when Miami Beach PD alerted me to the situation," she said. "I haven't had any threats or conflicts while in office."

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Miami Beach police said they received the initial call of "suspicious activity" at 11:45 a.m.

Police blocked traffic for more than two hours along 17 street between Meridian Avenue and Convention Center Drive and limited access to city hall until a sweep of the area was completed by the Miami-Dade Police Department's Bomb Squad. Police said the sweep did not turn up anything suspicious.

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Traffic began returning to normal by about 2 p.m. as the bomb squad continued to sweep the nearby area."

Alemán praised the quick response by the Miami Beach Police Department and emergency management services.

"I have complete confidence in them," she said.

Police are asking for the public's help in determining what happened.

"We really don’t know what happened," acknowledged Rodriguez. "It could have been someone jogging and something fell."

To report a tip, call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) or 866-471-8477, visit crimestoppersmiami.com and select "Give a Tip" or text "CSMD" followed by the tip to 274637.

Photo courtesy of Miami Beach Police Department