PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Election Day is one week away, and the final push appears to be leaving tensions high among voters in Palm Beach County.
Some of you have reached out to WPTV after your politically affiliated property has been victimized.
"When I got near my car, I saw there was all these scattered Republican (signs), say no to Amendment 4 signs and candidate signs," said Rolando Barrero. "And then I turn around and then I noticed that my Harris-Walz sign was missing."
Through a doorbell video, Barrero caught a woman trespass on to his property and take his political sign by the front steps of his house.
She also left other signs for Republican candidates scattered on his yard.
He's was worried he was being targeted by his political affiliation and role as the president of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida, and called West Palm Beach Police.
"I would prefer to have people documented that break the law so we can identify them later in case there's harm," said Barrero.
WPBPD told WPTV they charged the woman with one count of petty theft, and that she had stolen other not political related signs in the neighborhood.
WPBPD said they don't track political calls specifically but said stealing political signs could be a misdemeanor or more depending on the quantity or value.
They said road rage, physical altercations, or trespassing would be charged as such.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said they've gotten 49 calls related to political incidents since February. The busiest month has been October with 13 calls.
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Barrero said he plans to install more security cameras around his property for safety. He said WPBPD took the signs involved as evidence and has put up a new Harris-Walz sign.
People in support of former President Trump said they have also felt the heat.
"When it comes to political aggression, have you experienced any yourself?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
"For the most part we've seen is a lot of thumbs up and support, but we do see a lot of middle fingers and a lot of people yelling and screaming at us," said Jestin Nevarez.
He drives around in a car that is decked out with Trump flags, stickers, and other signage.
He said just last weekend, a woman with road rage in Boynton Beach tried ripping his flag off his car during a stop light.
"We can support whoever we want, but these people who resort to violence, resort to ripping our flags off in the middle of traffic, that's a problem," said Nevarez.
According to a report by Reuters, political violence in the Unites States is a its worst since the 1970s, with 300 identified cases since 2021.
