Suspects Vandalize Political Activist's Truck

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A metro woman woke up to find her vehicle vandalized with vulgar slurs and she believes her political activism may have lead to the act.

Reggie Cervantes has been fighting for better health care since the September 11 attacks. She believes she was targeted for her beliefs, but said the perpetrators were being watched the entire time.

Blue paint in Reggie Cervantes' driveway is all that's left of the vandalism that left paint was all over her truck.

"We came out to turn on the vehicles to get the kids to school and there it was," said Reggie Cervantes.

She cleaned the truck, but not before taking pictures of the graphic language aimed all at her.

"They need a dictionary because they didn't spell it right, that's for starters. But then Oklahoma is not number one in education either yet," Cervantes said.

Cervantes was one of the first responders to the World Trade Center in New York after the 9-11 attacks.

Shortly afterward, she moved to Oklahoma City after suffering health problems she believes was caused by breathing the air at ground zero. Since then, she has become an activist for better healthcare, even appearing in Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko."

More recently, she took part in protests at the state capitol supporting the president's push for an overhaul of the health care system. Cervantes believes she was targeted because of her activism.

"If I walked into a fire, what makes you think I'm going to be afraid of you writing dirty words on my truck," said the political activist.

But Cervantes said she knows who the vandals are. The suspects never noticed the security cameras at her home aimed at the driveway.

"I suggest that they turn themselves in. We've all seen ‘Cops' and it's not pretty when they come and get you and cuff you," Cervantes said.

Cervantes would not show NEWS 9 the surveillance video, but said she plans to give it to police and file a report.

Cervantes said she's had political signs stolen from her yard before, but after the theives realized they were camera, they replaced the signs.