Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Arizona, says she was attacked and sexually assaulted in August while attempting to repair one of her campaign signs.
Greene-Placentia, the Democratic nominee in the 8th Congressional District, told The Phoenix New Times on Wednesday that she was knocked unconscious in a Sun City parking lot as she worked on the damaged sign late at night.
She said she regained consciousness with her pants partially pulled down and a man raping her.
According to Greene-Placentia, a second man approached and attempted to assault her. She kicked at him, prompting him to walk away while muttering, “not even worth it.”
The long-haul trucker also said she heard the first attacker call her a “bitch” and tell her she was “not a very good f–k.”
Greene-Placentia, who is challenging incumbent Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-Ariz.), said she often repaired campaign signs at night to avoid the extreme daytime heat. Her husband sometimes accompanied her.
Because she was wearing a campaign shirt, Greene-Placentia said the attacker may have referred to her as a “Democratic bitch,” although she cannot confirm that. She said she remembers little about what happened after the assault, including how she returned home.
MORE STORY: Voters Deliver Trump a Brutal Reality Check Ahead of Midterm Elections
“It’s just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” she told the outlet. “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 told her staff and husband about the attack two days later, after isolating herself in her apartment and effectively going “missing in action,” according to the New Times. She waited another two weeks before reporting it to police, saying she felt “embarrassed.”
“I just wanted to forget it,” she told the outlet.
Her campaign told The Guardian that the attack occurred early on Aug. 14.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Greene-Placentia filed a report on Aug. 31 but declined to release additional information, citing an “ongoing investigation.”
Greene-Placentia’s campaign did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
A police report reviewed by the New Times stated that Greene-Placentia experienced vaginal bleeding for three days following the attack. She told the outlet that she endured periods of “crying times and angry times.”
Greene-Placentia said she decided to speak publicly to encourage other women to discuss their experiences. “I need to let women know that it’s okay to talk about it,” she said. “We’re asking people to stand up and donate or volunteer. We’re asking those folks to be uncomfortable … then I have to be willing to be uncomfortable too.”