Congressional Candidate Says She Was Raped While Repairing Her Campaign Signs

Democratic House candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia said that she was raped while repairing a damaged campaign sign one early morning.

Greene-Placentia said that she was walking across a parking lot at 2 a.m. while heading to the sign when she was struck on the head and blacked out, only to wake up with a stranger on top of her, according to an interview with Phoenix New Times, shared Wednesday. (RELATED: Bodycam Captures 6-Year-Old’s Chilling Admission After Shooting Teacher)

The Democrat running in Arizona’s eighth congressional district said that while she regained consciousness, she was able to feel sharp pain below her waist as the man was sexually assaulting her.

While still lying on the floor, Greene-Placentia said that another man had approached her and began spreading her legs before he stopped.

Greene-Placentia said that as the two men left her in the parking lot, she heard music playing from her running car; however, she said she didn’t remember how she returned home.

“It’s just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times. “As much as I don’t want to remember, I’ve tried very, very hard to remember more stuff. But that’s where I’m at.”

Greene-Placentia said that she “just wanted to forget it,” as her body was covered with bruises and she believed she may have suffered a concussion.

She hesitated to report the incident, saying she was “embarrassed” and distanced herself from her husband and staff.

Days later, she told her campaign staff what happened and told her husband the following day. She had also reported the assault to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office two weeks after the incident.

“I did talk to her a couple of times,” her husband told the outlet. “I distinctly remember I said to her, ‘Something’s not right. You’re being weird or something.’”

Her campaign manager also said that she had been acting differently and described Greene-Placentia as having been “missing in action” for a few days after the assault.

Throughout the next few weeks, Greene-Placentia tried to cope with the attack by embracing an angry persona.

“I want a fucking rematch. I want to call them out. I want to like go on TV and say ‘Let’s go again and don’t come at me from behind,’” she recalled telling her husband and campaign manager. “I know that sounds crazy, but I was just mad.” (RELATED: Dozens Of Rapists, Murderers, And Repeat Violent Offenders Granted Parole By Virginia Officials)

Democrat Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego said that he was “absolutely heartbroken to hear this news” and that “We cannot tolerate political or sexual violence in any form.”