Miami Mayor Investigated for Domestic Abuse

M I A M I, Feb. 7 -- Miami Mayor Joe Carollo was jailedon a misdemeanor battery charge today after police werecalled to his home to investigate a domestic violencecomplaint, police said.

Police spokesman Lt. Bill Schwartz said officers went tothe residence that Carollo shares with his wife, Maria, andtheir two daughters early in the morning "to investigate adomestic disturbance involving Mayor Joe Carollo and hiswife."

Police released a tape of a 911 phone call in which one ofthe mayor's daughters tells emergency operators, "My dad'shurting my mom."

After several hours of questioning, the mayor was chargedwith one misdemeanor count of simple battery, police said.

They declined to provide details, except to say that underFlorida law, it is not the victim's decision whether chargeswill be filed or not.

"That responsibility rests with the investigating lawenforcement agency, based on probable cause," police said.

Another Embarrassment for Miami

The case is another embarrassment for a city that has beenmocked as a "Banana Republic" in recent years due to a litanyof corruption scandals, electoral fraud, and the antics oflocal officials.

Carollo's attorney, Ben Kuehne, said the mayor was denied arequest for an emergency bond hearing and would spend the nightbehind bars.

He said the mayor's wife had not asked for the arrest andthat it was a personal dispute in which police involvement wasunwarranted.

Carollo and his wife had announced plans to divorce inNovember. He blamed the breakup of their 15-year marriage inpart on the demands of public office.

The Cuban-born mayor earned national attention during theElian Gonzalez saga when he lobbied to keep the 6-year-oldshipwreck survivor from being returned to Cuba with his father.He vowed that local police would not participate in federalefforts to remove Elian.

After federal agents seized Elian from his Miami relatives'home, Carollo fired the city manager in part for refusing to dismiss the police chief, who had allowed officers to accompanyfederal agents during the raid.