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Oct 21, 2009 6:21 pm US/Eastern
Miami Lakes Mayor's Law Office Torched
Police Suspect The Fire Was Intentionally Set
MIAMI LAKES (CBS4) ―
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Arson is suspected in a fire at the law office of Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi.
CBS
A bold arsonist torched Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi law office early Wednesday morning.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said when firefighters arrived at the two story business complex at 15271 NW 60th Avenue they found the fire in an office belonging to Pizzi.
Pizzi, who was on the scene much of the morning, said he just couldn't believe it.
"If this can happen to a mayor in the middle of his own city, right across the street from the police station, then it's a pretty scary thing," said Pizzi.
Fire investigators say the office is a total loss.
"They've destroyed my law practice. It's obvious it was intentional," said Pizzi. "I think it's pretty sickening."
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Arnold Piedrahita said the cause of the fire was not 'accidental'.
"There were signs of some type of accelerate poured throughout the floor and ground of the office space and then was lit. We don't know how it was lit," said Piedrahita.
Pizzi says the contents of his office have been destroyed, including
many documents involving pending litigation. He believes his office was
targeted entirely because he is the Mayor.
"A lot of things
have happened; there have been a lot of recent political events which
makes something like this less than a coincidence," Pizzi said during a
late-morning news conference.
Pizzi wouldn't elaborate on those political events saying its part of the investigation.
He
is grateful no one was hurt. He says he left the office around 9pm, and
had planned to go back into the office to work on some legal briefs
during the night. He says it's lucky that he fell asleep, and didn't go
back.
Other business owners in complex heard the news and rushed to their offices.
"We're all very concerned. It could have really affected all of us here and that would have been a huge problem, for all of us business owners here in this building 8. We hope they get to the bottom of this and catch whoever did it," said Milly Suarez.
"That's pretty gutsy, to target the mayor. That's pretty bad whether you like him or you don't like him, that's just wrong," said Madelein Whitt who also owns a business in the building.
Anyone with information is asked to call
Miami Dade Crimestoppers at
(305) 471-TIPS.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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