Miami, FL
2 more Miami Beach Commissioners endorse Vicki Lopez for Miami-Dade Commission
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Vicki Lopez’s campaign to keep her District 5 seat now has support from a majority of the Miami Beach Commission.
This week, Lopez’s campaign announced endorsements from City Commissioners Laura Dominguez and Monica Matteo-Salinas.
They join two other Miami Beach officials — Commissioners Tanya Katzoff Bhatt and Alex Fernandez — backing Lopez.
Dominguez, who handily won re-election alongside Fernandez in early November, called Lopez “a proven partner for Miami Beach who understands what our residents need.”
She cited Lopez’s work as a state lawmaker on condo safety and “real solutions on housing.”
“Vicki is thoughtful, collaborative, and knows how to turn priorities into action,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work together to keep Miami Beach safe, resilient, and strong.”
Matteo-Salinas, a former City Hall aide who won her seat in December with 71% of the vote, said Lopez has earned the trust of her constituents “not with words, but with action.”
“Vicki shows up prepared, principled, and genuinely committed to getting it right. She doesn’t lead for the headlines. She leads for the people,” she said in a statement.
“She has been a true partner to our city by being accessible, collaborative, and never too busy to pick up the phone when our residents need answers. Vicki Lopez is the kind of leader our community deserves: experienced, accountable, and deeply rooted in the values that make this county a place we’re proud to call home. I am proud to support her campaign to continue to lead as our county commissioner.”
Lopez, in a statement, expressed gratitude for “the support of leaders who are working every day to serve Miami Beach residents.”
“Our partnership with municipal leaders is essential to tackling the issues that matter most — from housing and safety to infrastructure and quality of life,” she said. “I look forward to continuing that work together.”
Lopez, who was appointed by her County Commission peers last year, raised nearly $589,000 last quarter, far outpacing her lone challenger, Florida Highway Patrol trooper and former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez.
Both Lopez and Sanchez are Republicans. Bhatt, Domiguez, Fernandez and Matteo-Salinas are all Democrats.
District 5 includes the cities of Miami and Miami Beach.
All County Commission candidates will be on the Aug. 18 Primary ballot, as those races and others in the county are technically nonpartisan.
If no candidate in a given contest receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will compete in a Nov. 3 runoff.
The Miami Heat are bringing a familiar name back to South Florida.
The Heat announced Monday that the team has signed veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr.. As is team policy, the club did not disclose the terms of the agreement.
“Hardaway is obviously a great name around here,” Heat President Pat Riley said in a statement. “Tim Jr. is one of the most explosive shooters in the league and a player we have long coveted. We are thrilled to finally be able to bring him home.”
The move marks a homecoming for Hardaway Jr., who attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School before beginning a 13-year NBA career.
Last season with the Denver Nuggets, Hardaway Jr. appeared in 80 games, making six starts, and averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.6 minutes per game. He shot a career-best 40.7% from three-point range while connecting on 224 three-pointers — the second-most in a single season in Nuggets franchise history.
Hardaway Jr. scored in double figures 57 times during the season, including 17 games with at least 20 points and one 30-point outing. He also knocked down multiple three-pointers in 57 games, including 13 contests with five or more made shots from beyond the arc.
Over his NBA career, Hardaway Jr. has played in 893 regular-season games, including 428 starts. He owns career averages of 13.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 36.5% from three-point range and 81.5% from the free-throw line.
The veteran has reached the playoffs seven times and was part of an NBA Finals team in 2024.
His return to Miami carries added significance because of his family legacy. Hardaway Jr. is the son of Tim Hardaway, whose No. 10 jersey hangs in the rafters at Kaseya Center. The younger Hardaway will also wear No. 10 with the Heat, continuing a number synonymous with one of the franchise’s most celebrated players.
The signing adds veteran experience and perimeter shooting to Miami’s roster as the Heat continue preparing for the upcoming NBA season.
MIAMI — Christian Martinez was at the Metrowest Detention Center on Monday, facing charges for stealing three gold bracelets, a gold chain, a pair of shoes, and $100 at gunpoint after a crash in Miami, records show.
Martinez, who turns 30 on Wednesday, was driving his gray Honda Odyssey when he crashed in the Liberty City neighborhood, threatened two victims, and “displayed a silver handgun that was tucked in his waistband,” according to the police report.
While demanding cash, Martinez, of Allapattah, grabbed the gun and pointed it at the victim’s rib cage before also using the firearm to strike him “across the face,” according to the police report.
One of the victims escaped, and the other was injured during the armed robbery shortly after 4:10 a.m. on June 28 at Northwest Seventh Avenue and 52 Street, according to the police report.
“I obtained CCTV footage that captured the entirety of the robbery,” a Miami detective wrote, according to the police report.
Surveillance video shows Martinez at the Shell gas station at 5343 NW 7th Ave., before the armed robbery on June 28, and license plate readers show him “traveling northbound through the intersection of Northwest Second Avenue and 54 Street at 4:15 a.m., according to police.
Martinez’s face “can be clearly seen in this video,” a police officer wrote about the surveillance at the gas station, according to the police report.
Miami police officers arrested Martinez at 7 p.m. on July 2 at Northwest Sixth Avenue and 69 Street, and found a firearm in the car, according to the police report.
Corrections booked Martinez, also known as Christian Martinezguerra, shortly before 10:05 p.m. on July 2 at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Martinez-Guerra faced two felony charges in Miami-Dade County: Armed robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. A judge placed a pre-trial detention hold.
Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.
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