Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona, stated that she was sexually assaulted by two men around 2 or 3 a.m. on August 14 while organizing campaign signs in Sun City, a suburb of Phoenix.
An incident report from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, provided by her campaign team, indicates that Greene-Placentia did not report the incident until August 31; police stated on the 7th of this month that the case is under investigation.
CNN reported that the district Greene-Placentia is contesting—Arizona’s 8th Congressional District—encompasses parts of Phoenix as well as Sun City.
Greene-Placentia works as both a truck driver and a business owner; to avoid the intense daytime heat, she often puts up or repairs campaign signs late at night, sometimes accompanied by her husband or volunteers.
On the night of the incident, while walking back to her vehicle, Greene-Placentia was struck hard on the back of the head by two unidentified men and lost consciousness; when she awoke, one man was pinning her down while the other proceeded to assault her.
Greene-Placentia struggled and managed to kick at the assailant; the attacker then remarked, “It’s not even worth it,” before leaving in frustration.
Greene-Placentia described how, after the two men fled, a nearby silver SUV remained with its trunk open and engine running, with music still playing inside.
Greene-Placentia recalled faintly hearing someone curse, calling her a “Democratic b*tch,” though during an interview with a CNN reporter on the 8th, she revised her statement, saying she “could not be certain of what she heard at the time.” She said, “But I was out fixing campaign signs at the time—my photos were plastered all over the district. I think this was more of a crime of opportunity, though I can’t rule that out.”
Green-Placentia told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that she was furious at her own helplessness in this situation, especially given that she had spent 27 years as a truck driver, logging four million miles and always managing to keep herself safe. Her memory of the incident was fragmented; she recalled only that one of the assailants wore black boots and had small feet, and she could not describe the appearance or clothing of either individual.
Police reports indicate that Green-Placentia did not photograph her injuries afterward; she showered three times and took a bath upon returning home, did not seek medical attention or an examination by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), and had already washed the clothes she was wearing.
When officers visited on September 1, Green-Placentia reported a visible lump on the back-left of her head and three vertical bruises on her left arm that appeared to be shaped like a hand; she also reported vaginal bleeding for two or three days following the incident and stated that the assailants were likely white men.
Suspecting she had a concussion, Green-Placentia cut herself off from the outside world for a time; her husband noticed her behavior was abnormal, but she refused to reveal the truth.
On August 20, suffering from a splitting headache and clearly distressed, she finally confided in her team about the sexual assault after her campaign manager and communications director noticed something was wrong; she told her husband, Alexander Placentia, the following day.
Alexander described being consumed by rage upon learning of the assault, saying, “As a husband, I just wanted to find someone and beat the hell out of them.”
Green-Placentia described the incident as having turned her into a “very angry person”—alternating between sobbing and explosive rage—and said she “understood why female victims just want to hide and don’t want to talk about it.” Initially, Green-Plasencia was reluctant to report the incident to the police due to shame and a fear of being retraumatized by the investigation process; however, she later reflected on her repeated pledges to be a voice for the public, reasoning that if she could not face the situation herself, she could not speak up for other victims—leading to her decision to go public.
Campaign spokesperson Craig Beckman stated, “It is extremely difficult for Bernadette to speak publicly about this matter.”
Green-Plasencia’s opponent, incumbent U.S. Representative Abraham Hamadeh, stated that law enforcement agencies should thoroughly investigate these serious allegations, review surveillance footage from the time of the incident, and prosecute the case strictly in accordance with the law.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Dave Moyer stated that the case remains under investigation and details regarding its progress cannot be disclosed; currently, there is no public information available concerning the identities or whereabouts of the two suspects.