Letters sent to Southwest Ranches mayor investigated - Sun-Sentinel

The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating a number of envelopes that were sent to Southwest Ranches Mayor Jeff Nelson.

Nelson met with detectives Friday morning at Southwest Ranches Town Hall to turn over about 20 envelopes that seemed suspicious to him and his wife, Gina Sandusky-Nelson, a town official said.

"He received some envelopes, all with different return addresses, that are empty to the best of our knowledge," Southwest Ranches Town Administrator Andrew Berns said Friday. "The mayor is talking with detectives now and hazmat is going to look at them."

Berns said one of the envelopes was opened by Nelson's wife and the rest were kept sealed.

"A sender or senders used return addresses from different town residents as well as from two South Florida reporters," Berns said. "[The reporters] obviously denied any involvement."

The official said he did not know what could have prompted the mailings.

"I can only speculate on that," Berns said.

Concerns about a possible rise in crime and traffic around a proposed federal detention center that could have brought jobs but ultimately wasn't built in Southwest Ranches was one recent conflict among residents of both the town and city of Pembroke Pines.

Area residents have also been in conflict about traffic in the neighborhoods south of Griffin Road and east of U.S. 27.

In July, 2012, Southwest Ranches installed gates on Southwest 199th Avenue, Southwest 202nd Avenue and Southwest 205th Avenue to detour drivers toward other roads.

Residents' anger about traffic and the blocked byways erupted after the Sept. 18 death of Maritza Medina. Her family said the gates forced her to use Griffin Road and U.S. 27 when her car was struck by a driver who was sought for two homicides and was fleeing police.

Mourners held a vigil outside town hall and speakers both for and against the gates addressed Southwest Ranches officials about them on Sept. 26.

Staff Writers Heather Carney and Susannah Bryan contributed to this report. Ltrischitta@Tribune.com, 954-356-4233 or Twitter @LindaTrischitta

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