Arizona Dem. An applicant is said to have been raped while fixing signs

An Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped this summer while fixing broken campaign signs.

Democratic candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia details of the alleged incident Aug. 14 to the Phoenix New Times, saying that after 2 that morning, as she walked across a parking lot to repair a campaign sign, she was hit in the head and blacked out near the sign.

She woke up to a man she didn’t recognize sexually assaulting her, before another man appeared, the news agency said. The other man allegedly pushed her leg further away from the other, causing her to extend her leg to him in response, Greene-Placentia said.

He told her, “it’s not worth it,” according to her account.

Greene-Placentia said the men eventually left the parking lot because she was face down on the ground after the attack, which left her with multiple bruises, according to the Phoenix New Times.

Afterward, she reported the alleged rape to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, saying it happened in Sun City, according to a sheriff’s report that witnessed the break-in.

She told the news agency that she “wanted to forget it,” and that she was “ashamed,” but ultimately decided to call the authorities.

The sheriff’s report notes that Greene-Placentia did not remember what the men looked like, but that they may have been white, including one wearing black boots, according to 12News.

“It’s just these tiny flashes of things that I remember,” Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times. “As much as I don’t want to remember, I’ve tried really hard to remember more stuff. But that’s where I’m at.”

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told the Guardian that the agency is continuing to investigate the incident. They refused to comment on the revolution.

In a statement to the news outlet, a campaign spokesperson for Greene-Placentia said “It has been extremely difficult for Bernadette to speak publicly about what happened.

“She chose to share her story because she knows that many survivors struggle in silence, and she hopes that by talking about her experience, others will know that they are not alone,” the spokesperson said.

Greene-Placentia is challenging Republican congressman Abe Hamadeh, who represents Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).