Mayoral Hopeful Montgomery Allegedly Vandalizes Opponent's Sign

, an Elk Grove mayoral hopeful who has pulled papers to run for that office but hasn't completed them, was caught in the act of vandalizing a campaign sign for rival Sophia Scherman over the weekend, police say.

According to the Elk Grove Police Department's watch summary, the 51-year-old Montgomery was spotted by witnesses just before midnight Saturday "spray painting a campaign sign belonging to Sophia Scherman."

Witnesses spotted the suspect's license plate number, which police used to find to her home. Police found Montomery in her garage near the suspect vehicle, and witnesses were able to identify her as the one doing the spray painting, the police log states.

"Sophia Scherman was contacted and desired to press charges," the police log states. "[Montgomery] was arrested then issued a misdemeanor [vandalism] citation and released."

Elk Grove Police Department spokesman Chris Trim confirmed that the Montgomery cited is the same person who pulled papers to run for mayor.

Calls to Montgomery's work Monday went unanswered, and she has not responded to emails from Elk Grove Patch.

Scherman, reached by phone, said she hadn't heard the suspect's name until Monday. She expressed disbelief that another candidate could do such a thing.

"This is my first campaign that anything like this has happened," Scherman said.

This isn't the first time her campaign signs have been vandalized. The Elk Grove Citizen reported that she spotted some signs chopped to pieces earlier last week.

"When I first saw all the signs chopped up by the cemetery I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Scherman said by phone Monday. "It was so uncharacteristic of any of the campaigns we have here in Elk Grove."

She said it won't change anything about how she runs her campaign; her campaign website includes a pledge to run a positive race. Scherman has a campaign fundraiser planned for 6 - 8 p.m. on Aug. 15 at , 10686 West Stockton Blvd.

Montgomery, meanwhile, is due in court within 30 days. Trim was unable to provide the exact date.

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