The Hollister Police Department is investigating a member of the
Pat Turturici campaign after someone removed a pro-Darren Thompson
sign Friday and replaced it with the undersheriff’s own sign near
El Grullense Taqueria at the intersection of Line Street and San
Juan Road, a police captain said Monday.
The Hollister Police Department is investigating a member of the Pat Turturici campaign after someone removed a pro-Darren Thompson sign Friday and replaced it with the undersheriff’s own sign near El Grullense Taqueria at the intersection of Line Street and San Juan Road, a police captain said Monday.
Turturici and Thompson, a Watsonville police lieutenant, are the two candidates for San Benito County sheriff in the Nov. 2 election.
At 1:30 p.m. Friday, the police department received a complaint from Thompson that the sign was removed and thrown away, Capt. Carlos Reynoso said. In its place was a pro-Turturici sign.
Thompson said someone in his campaign found his sign behind a Dumpster on the taqueria property. He said he had signs removed “a few” times before in the campaign.
“This is the first time someone alerted me to it when it had just occurred,” Thompson said. “I believe somebody may have witnessed it. I haven’t read the police report to see what they determined.”
Thompson said “at this time” he’s not planning to press charges.
“I believe my options remain open,” he said. “At this time I don’t know who’s responsible for the theft.”
Turturici did not immediately return a phone call before press time.
The suspect, whom Reynoso would identify only as someone associated with the Turturici campaign, said the person contended it was a misunderstanding and he thought he had permission to swap the signs.
“So far that’s not what we have been able to confirm,” Reynoso said. “Regardless, someone took someone else’s property and destroyed it.”
The incident is considered vandalism, Reynoso said.
During the beginning stages of the investigation, Turturici complained that he had a sign removed across town, Reynoso said. As of Monday afternoon, Turturici had yet to call back and finish the police report.
Editor Kollin Kosmicki contributed to this report.
