SUN CITY, Ariz. (Diya TV) — Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia says a man sexually assaulted her after knocking her unconscious while she tried to repair a damaged campaign sign in August.
Her campaign told People the attack occurred around 2 a.m. on Aug. 14 in a Sun City parking lot. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the magazine that it received her report on Aug. 31 and said the investigation remains pending.
Greene-Placentia told Phoenix New Times that someone struck her on the head as she approached the sign. She said she regained consciousness to find a man sexually assaulting her. A second man approached, but she kicked at him before both men left.
She said she returned home but could not remember driving there. She reported extensive bruising and suspected a concussion, though she did not seek medical treatment.
“It’s just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” she told Phoenix New Times.
Greene-Placentia told campaign aides about the attack days later, then informed her husband. She said she initially resisted reporting it because she felt embarrassed and wanted to forget what happened.
She has stopped making overnight trips to repair campaign signs. She said she decided to speak publicly to encourage other survivors to come forward.
“I need to let women know that it’s okay to talk about it,” she said.
Greene-Placentia, a former long-haul trucker and trucking-business owner, is challenging Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh in Arizona’s eighth Congressional District.
