Politics
Hamadeh pledges $10,000 for information in Greene-Placentia assault investigation
U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh says he is personally offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two unidentified men in an alleged sexual assault of his Democratic opponent. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the reported August attack in Sun City.
U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, a Republican seeking reelection in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, announced Tuesday that he is offering a $10,000 personal reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two men accused of sexually assaulting his Democratic opponent, Bernadette Greene-Placentia.
Greene-Placentia told investigators that she was attacked in the early hours of Aug. 14 while working on campaign signs near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City. According to a police report, she said she was knocked unconscious and awoke as one man assaulted her; a second man then assaulted her as she tried to fight back. She reported that the men made political and profane comments during the attack.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Hamadeh’s announcement described the alleged attackers as unidentified. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 602-876-8477 or 602-876-1011.
“Nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of my constituents,” Hamadeh said in a statement. He said that, as a former prosecutor, he had worked on behalf of sexual-assault survivors and wanted the people responsible brought to justice.
Greene-Placentia reported the assault several weeks after it happened. She has said trauma, fear and embarrassment kept her from coming forward at first, and that she decided to speak publicly in hopes of helping others report assaults.
Hamadeh had previously urged authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly, including seeking available camera footage. He and Greene-Placentia are competing to represent the district in Congress. The case remains under investigation, and the allegations have not been adjudicated.