Politics
Police investigate reported assault of Arizona congressional candidate in Sun City
Bernadette Green-Placentia told investigators she was attacked while tending campaign signs in Sun City on Aug. 14. The case remains under investigation as leaders from both parties call for accountability.
A police report says Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Green-Placentia was knocked unconscious and sexually assaulted by two men while fixing campaign signs in Sun City on Aug. 14.
Green-Placentia told investigators she was walking back to her vehicle near 99th Avenue and Bell Road when she was struck in the head. She said she regained consciousness while being held down and assaulted, and that a second man then assaulted her as she fought back. The report says she recalled one of the men using an anti-Democratic slur during the attack.
She told her husband about the assault two or three days later and contacted law enforcement about two weeks after it happened, according to the report. She did not receive a medical examination, the report states. The investigation is ongoing; no arrests were reported.
Green-Placentia is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Hamadeh’s campaign called for a thorough investigation, including a search for possible surveillance footage, and said those responsible should be prosecuted.
Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office condemned the reported attack and expressed support for Green-Placentia and her family. U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego also voiced support and said those responsible should be held accountable. Green-Placentia has publicly disclosed the allegations.