Miami Beach City Commission candidate confronts campaign sign snatcher

Man claimed signs are not environmentally friendly, Adrian Gonzalez says

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A campaign sign confrontation was caught on camera this week in Miami Beach.  

"On the north end, it's been reported repeatedly," Miami Beach City Commission candidate Adrian Gonzalez said. 

In the heat of a local election, most candidates are worrying about battling their opponent, but in Miami Beach, commission candidates say they are dealing with a sign snatcher. 

"I pulled over and said, 'Excuse me, sir. What are you doing with those signs?'" Gonzalez said. 

Gonzalez told Local 10 News that he saw a man pulling up candidates' signs Thursday afternoon and throwing them in the trash, so he confronted him.  

"Those signs are expensive. They are on private property. It's allowed to be there, so you shouldn't be touching the signs. So I go, 'Give me the signs back,'" Gonzalez said. 

Cellphone video shows the accused sign snatcher pushing away Gonzalez moments later as he records the confrontation.

Gonzalez said he just wanted to know why the man was removing the signs.  

Other candidates also have noticed their signs missing.

"When actually someone is caught being filmed or pictured stealing those signs, it's disappointing," commission candidate Rafael Velasquez said. 

The man picking up the signs told Gonzalez he was doing it because they were not environmentally friendly and he was tired of seeing them.