Editor’s note: Since publishing this article, Michael Grieco called to provide more information and we have amended the story to include the additional information.
A loaded semi-automatic handgun belonging to Michael Grieco, a Miami Beach mayoral candidate running as a champion of public safety, was found on a city park bench and turned in to police.
Body camera video released by Miami Beach Police on Monday shows a woman turning in the Glock, which had six 9mm rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.
The woman turned the gun in to the Miami Beach police station around 11:30 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 13.
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Police quickly learned Grieco was the owner. The bag contained several IDs, Grieco's wallet, and about $60 in cash.
MBPD returned the gun to Grieco and have refused to publicly identify him as the owner, citing a public records exemption that applies to former prosecutors like Grieco.
Grieco told NBC6 by phone that he believes the bag was snatched but he didn’t see who snatched it. Once he realized it was missing, he said he called the sergeant in charge of the parks to report it.
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“My bag was stolen and within less than an hour found safely at the police department," he said. "In that hour period, I reported it to the command staff assigned to the park where it was stolen and was en route to the police station to file an official report when I received a call that the bag and its contents were mostly accounted for.”
Miami Beach Police noted in its report that Grieco requested the incident not be investigated.
Grieco told NBC6 he did not want to file a theft report. He said the reason he asked police to not investigate further is because he didn’t want to inconvenience them or himself by going through the process of seeking charges.
He said some money was missing and claims that the gun and other cash were in a side compartment that the thieves may not have seen.
Just a few weeks before the incident, Grieco released a campaign video decrying Florida’s newly-relaxed concealed weapons law.
"I am a gun owner," he said in the video. "I have a permit. I am former law enforcement. I believe the state of Florida and also tourist destinations like the city of Miami Beach are now less safe than they were a week ago."
He went on to say that he is "gravely concerned" about the children, the general public and "the fact there are going to be more guns on the street putting first responders and everyone else in danger."
Check back with NBC6 for updates.
