With just a week left until Election Day, tensions seem to be running high among voters in Palm Beach County in the final push.
Some of you have contacted WPTV after your politically connected property has been damaged.
“As I approached the car, I saw Republican (signs), Fourth Amendment No signs and candidate signs scattered around,” Rolando Valero said. “Then I turned around and noticed the Harris Waltz sign was gone.”
Via doorbell video, Valero captured the woman trespassing on his property and taking a political sign off the front steps of his home.
She also had other signs for Republican candidates scattered around her yard.
Concerned that he was being targeted because of his political affiliation and role as chairman of the Florida Hispanic Democratic Caucus, he called West Palm Beach police.
“We want to document people who violate the law so that they can be identified later if there is harm,” Valero said.
WPBPD told WPTV that the woman was charged with one count of petty larceny, including stealing a non-political sign from a neighborhood.
WPBPD said it does not specifically track political calls, but said theft of political signs could be a misdemeanor or more, depending on the quantity and amount.
They said road rage, physical altercation or trespassing would be charged as such.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it has received 49 calls related to political incidents since February. The busiest month was October with 13 calls.
Special Coverage: America Vote 2024
Valero said he plans to install more security cameras around his property for safety. He said WPBPD took the signs involved as evidence and installed new Harris Waltz signs.
Supporters of former President Trump said they felt the enthusiasm, too.
“Speaking of political aggression, have you experienced it yourself?” asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
“Most of the time we saw a lot of people giving thumbs up and supporting us, but we also saw a lot of people giving the middle finger and shouting and yelling at us,” Jess said. Ting Nevarez said.
He drives around in a car decorated with President Trump flags, stickers and other signs.
Just this past weekend, he said, a woman who assaulted him on the street in Boynton Beach tried to rip the flag off his car at a stoplight.
“We can support anyone, but people who resort to violence and tear down our flag in the middle of traffic are a problem,” Nevarez said.
Political violence in the United States is at its worst since the 1970s, with 300 confirmed cases since 2021, Reuters reports.
Scripps-only content 2024
