12 Dec 4th-Dec 10th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Serious Allegations Avondale official who called Tom Hanks a ‘pedo’ acccused of kidnapping. BY TJ L’HEUREUX J eannette Garcia has a habit of making bad headlines. In February, the far-right Avondale City Council member caught blowback for calling actor Tom Hanks a “pedo” on X, where she has 49,000 followers. Garcia later claimed she meant the Spanish transla- tion for “fart” and not “pedophile,” but the city council ultimately voted to condemn the remark. In July, Garcia raised eyebrows by telling Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego to “tell your wife to stay home and watch your kids.” Bad tweets are one thing, but now Garcia is facing a much more serious alle- gation. In a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on Nov. 14, the MAGA darling is accused of drunkenly propositioning a male coworker to have sex and, when he rebuffed her, briefly kidnapping his 14-year-old daughter. The lawsuit was filed by two anony- mous plaintiffs, identified only as Father John Doe — not quite as catchy as Father John Misty — and Minor Jane Doe. Isaac Hernandez, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not respond to a request for comment from Phoenix New Times, and Avondale spokesperson Pier Simeri said the city declined to comment on the lawsuit. Garcia also did not respond to a message from New Times, but denied the lawsuit’s claims in a social media post after this story was published online. “I am aware of the outrageous and false accusations being made about me,” Garcia wrote. “Let me be very clear: these claims are untrue. I have never kidnapped anyone, never harmed anyone, and never solicited anything inappro- priate, ever.” The events their complaint describes allegedly took place one year before the lawsuit was filed. At the time, John Doe had been hired by Charlie Kirk’s right-wing political organization, Turning Point, to promote their preferred candidates in the 2024 election, the lawsuit states. Garcia, who was appointed to the Avondale City Council in October 2024, was also working for the organization and was Doe’s direct supervisor. Though neither Turning Point nor Garcia has responded to requests for comment, a Facebook post from July 2024 confirms that she was employed there. It’s unclear if she is still affiliated with the organization. A week after the election, the lawsuit claims, Garcia and Doe were among several Turning Point employees cele- brating Republican wins at a Goodyear restaurant. The complaint alleges that Garcia was drinking heavily. “As the night progressed, Garcia began making remarks inviting and suggesting her interest in having sex or being inti- mate with Father Doe, which he repeat- edly rebuffed,” the lawsuit reads. Avondale City Council member Jeannette Garcia. (City of Avondale) >> p 13 | NEWS |
