A Democratic congressional candidate in Arizona said she was raped in August while out fixing campaign signs along a road in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and she thinks the attack may have been politically motivated.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, 52, told the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office that she was returning to her car around 2 a.m. on Aug. 14 in Sun City when she was struck in the back of the head and raped by a man, according to an incident report obtained by NBC News. She said a second man also climbed on top of her before she tried to fight him off.
Greene-Placentia, who is challenging Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, reported the alleged assault to authorities on Aug. 31, more than two weeks after she said it occurred. Greene-Placentia told police she believed her attackers recognized her as a political figure, according to the incident report.
She told NBC News on Wednesday that she recalled hearing one of the suspects saying “ick b----,” which she said in her head filled in as “democratic b----.”
“Bernadette also recalled one of the male suspects stating, “democratic b----,” at some point during the incident but she did not clarify or recall when this may have been said,” the incident report states.
Greene-Placentia told NBC News that she had little memory of the moments leading up to the attack and did not hear anyone approach her. She said she was struck in the back of her head in a way that left a “huge lump.”
When she regained consciousness on the ground, she said, one man was sexually assaulting her. She said she then tried to fight off a second man.
Greene-Placentia said the second man said, “You’re right, she’s not worth it,” before they left, according to the incident report. She added that she does not recall the men’s faces or their appearances.
“I don’t know how long I laid there. I don’t think it was very long,” she said. “And then I remember looking up, I guess I had rolled over, and my car was only like three yards away.”
“All I can remember is their feet, their pant leg,” she later added. “It’s frustrating.”
Her campaign manager confirmed to NBC News that Greene-Placentia and others on the campaign often go out in the middle of the night to repair and put out campaign signs to avoid the heat and traffic.
Greene-Placentia said she returned home after the alleged attack but does not remember the drive. According to the incident report, she did not seek medical treatment or undergo a sexual assault forensic examination. She told police she took three showers and a bath immediately after the sexual assault.
She told NBC News she initially kept the incident to herself because she was embarrassed that she was unable to defend herself — particularly given the years she spent learning how to protect herself when she was a long-haul truck driver.
“I will tell you, I have pretty good situational awareness,” she said. “You’re not a woman in trucking without being aware of your surroundings. Somebody was pretty f---ing quiet, and they snuck up behind me and hit me on the back of the head.”
Greene-Placentia said she told her husband and communications coordinator about the assault two to three days afterward, according to the incident report. Her husband and communications coordinator recounted to the Phoenix New Times how she told them what happened.
“I never imagined that something like this would happen just, you know, miles from my house, and I was embarrassed. Like, ‘Oh my God, I couldn’t defend myself,’” she said. “So I didn’t want to tell anybody.”
Her landlord, who asked to remain anonymous out of respect for her privacy, told NBC News she encountered an “extremely shaken” Greene-Placentia a few days after the alleged incident on the driveway as she was leaving to have dinner with a friend. She recalled Greene-Placentia was “visibly trembling” and “appeared as though she might have difficulty remaining on her feet.”
“I asked her, ‘Are you OK?’ At that point, I saw her visibly compose herself and change her demeanor,” the landlord said. “She told me that she was upset about the lack of support she felt she was receiving from the Democratic Party. We had a brief conversation about that as she went into the garage to access her apartment.”
The landlord added that she remembered being struck by how shaken Greene-Placentia had appeared and did not know what was causing that reaction. She added that she does not want to speculate on her state of mind or about anything she did not personally witness.
“My concern is for Bernadette and for treating her with dignity and respect as she deals with an extraordinarily difficult experience,” she said. “I hope the focus remains on her well-being and on allowing the appropriate authorities to conduct their work.”
Greene-Placentia explained to NBC News that she eventually decided to contact authorities after delivering a campaign speech to a group of seniors and found herself reflecting on her promise to advocate for others.
“I couldn’t look people in the eye and say I’m going to fight for them if I’m not willing to fight for everybody,” she said.
Greene-Placentia said the alleged attack also left her with bruises on her back and arms, and she has what appears to be finger marks where someone gripped her. She told police she didn’t take pictures of the bump on the back of her head or bruises, the incident report states. She said that the bruises were still visible by the time she spoke to investigators, but they did not take photographs.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told NBC News on Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing. The office did not immediately respond to a request for an update or if any suspects have been identified on Thursday.
The attorney general’s office declined to comment, telling NBC News it is not involved in this investigation.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., responded to the news on Wednesday night, writing on X he is “heartbroken” and calling for those responsible to be held accountable. In a statement from her office, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she is “outraged” by the alleged “cruel and cowardly attack, and it has no place in Arizona.”
“No one should have to fear for their safety, or the safety of the people they love, while serving their community,” the statement said. “Violence of any kind, against anyone, will not be tolerated in our state. Our hearts are with Bernadette and her loved ones.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at rainn.org/get-help.
