Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia told authorities she was attacked and sexually assaulted by two men while repairing campaign signs in Arizona during the early-morning hours.
Greene-Placentia, who is seeking a seat in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, reported that the alleged incident occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. on August 14, 2026.
According to a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office report, Greene-Placentia said she had been putting up or fixing signs along the roadside before heading back to her vehicle. She described the late-night work as part of her usual campaign routine.
The allegations have not been tested in court. Authorities have not publicly identified or arrested any suspects in connection with the reported attack.
She told deputies that two unidentified men struck her from behind as she walked toward her car, leaving her unconscious.
Greene-Placentia said she regained consciousness while one of the men was sexually assaulting her and holding her down.
The sheriff’s report recounts her account, stating that she awoke in pain as one of the men stopped the assault while she remained restrained.
She further alleged that the second man sexually assaulted her.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, told deputies that one suspect allegedly insulted her with an anti-Democratic slur after the reported assault
According to the report, she also remembered one of the men saying something similar to, “not f****** worth it”
Greene-Placentia said she waited two or three days before telling her husband, Alex Placentia, about the alleged attack
The candidate said she tried to resist during the alleged assault, telling investigators that she kicked her legs in an effort to fight back.
She also recalled one of the men making a remark resembling “not f****** worth it,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Greene-Placentia also reported that one suspect allegedly directed a derogatory remark at her because of her Democratic affiliation.
Investigators said she was unable to give detailed descriptions of either alleged attacker.
She did remember that one man wore black boots and appeared to have relatively small feet.
Greene-Placentia later told an officer that she did not seek immediate medical care or undergo a sexual assault forensic examination following the reported incident.
She said she initially tried to block out what had happened and did not tell anyone for several days. During that time, she took three showers and a bath.
Her husband, Alex Placentia, and campaign manager Isaiah Lopez told The Phoenix New Times that Greene-Placentia was “missing in action” for two days after the alleged attack.
Greene-Placentia told an officer that she did not immediately obtain medical treatment or complete a sexual assault forensic exam after the alleged attack
The allegations have not been established in court, and no suspects have been identified or arrested in connection with the alleged attack
Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and improper campaign spending this year, said he was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by the news and commended her bravery
Greene-Placentia stayed at her apartment in her district while her husband called her several times from their home.
When Placentia called, she was repeatedly in the bath and at times was ‘being nauseous on the phone,’ he recalled.
Placentia said it was unusual for him to go two days without seeing his wife.
He admitted that he was hurt by the distance and began wondering whether she was hiding something from him.
On Sunday, she finally disclosed the alleged assault to campaign staff and told her husband the following day.
She told the officer she waited two to three days before confiding in her husband.
Greene-Placentia has said she believes she suffered a concussion and was covered in bruises after the attack.
The police report also noted that she reported vaginal bleeding for several days afterward.
She did not report the alleged assault to law enforcement until roughly two weeks later, later explaining that she felt embarrassed and wanted to forget what had happened before ultimately deciding to come forward publicly.
Her campaign communications director, Craig Beckman, told Our News Outlet that speaking publicly about the alleged assault has been difficult for Greene-Placentia, but she decided to share her story because she knows many survivors struggle in silence.
‘Bernadette is still processing the trauma of the assault, but she understands the importance of having these conversations.’
In the days and weeks after the alleged assault, Greene-Placentia said she became ‘a very angry person,’ while her husband recalled her cycling through ‘crying times and angry times.’
She told her husband and campaign manager that she wanted a ‘f****** rematch’ with the men she says attacked her.
‘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 to the Phoenix New Times.
At one point, her campaign even held a staff meeting at a gun range after she said she wanted to shoot something.
‘I know that sounds crazy,’ she said. ‘But I was just mad.’
Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and improper campaign spending this year, said he was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by the news and commended her bravery.
‘We cannot tolerate political or sexual violence in any form. Those responsible must be held accountable,’ he wrote on X.
‘Thank you for speaking out, Bernadette. We’re with you.’
