Jessica Soto, 26, was arrested after she allegedly attacked Bob Zwolinski (pictured left with his injuries), who was running against her mother for a representative seat in the Illinois General Assembly, with a staple gun
Jessica Soto, 26, faces aggravated battery charges for the bloody attack
Bob Zwolinsk, 30, claims she hit his head with an empty beer bottle and punched him in the face before shooting the staple gun
Soto's boyfriend Bradley Fichter, 26, has also been charged in the attack
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The fight allegedly broke out when Zwolinski saw Soto and Fichter stapling fliers promoting her mother to his campaign office
Cynthia Soto, who has held the seat since 2000, defeated Zwolinski by a landslide on Tuesday
The daughter of an Illinois state representative has been arrested after she allegedly attacked her mother's opponent with a staple gun in front of his campaign office.
Jessica Soto, 26, faces three different aggravated battery charges, including with a deadly weapon, causing great bodily harm and in a public place.
Her boyfriend, 26-year-old Bradley Fichter, faces the same charges, as well as a felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report about the altercation.
Soto is the daughter of incumbent Rep. Cynthia Soto, who defeated Bob Zwolinski on Tuesday in a landslide election for her 4th District Illinois House seat.
Less than two weeks before the election, Zwolinski said he and his girlfriend were driving past his campaign office on their way home when they saw a man and woman stapling signs to the building.
Photo: Chicago PD
Soto and her boyfriend Bradley Fichter, 26, (pictured) face three aggravated battery charges
Soto and her boyfriend Bradley Fichter, 26, (pictured) face three aggravated battery charges
'I went up to them and said "Come on guys, what are you doing? This is my office"', Zwolinski told ABC7 Chicago.
Zwolinski said the man then pushed his arm against him and the woman began to scream 'This isn't your territory'.
'Suddenly she pounces on my back and starts scratching and tearing at me, and before I know it all three of us are on the ground,' he said.
Zwolisnki said the woman hit an empty Coronoa bottle over his head and kicked him in the face before she shot the staple gun into his forehead.
He said the man and woman ran away as blood ran down his face.
Megan Dunworth, Zwolinski's girlfriend, said the woman then approached the car and opened the door, holding the staple gun to her head and threatening her.
Soto is the daughter of incumbent Rep. Cynthia Soto, who defeated Bob Zwolinski on Tuesday in a landslide election for her 4th District Illinois House seat.
Dunworth said the girl fled after a car honked. She then drove Zwolinski to the hospital, where he said he got six stitches for the staple wound and suffered a crack in his nose but no broken bones.
Zwolinski posted a photo of his bloodied face on his official Twitter account, writing: 'Politics is a contact sport. Apparently that's literally the case.'
Fichter was also hospitalized and filed a counter reporter against Zwolinksi for the March 6 incident.
Authorities said Fichter claimed Zwolinski attacked the pair first, ripping their signs down before he grabbing him, throwing him to the ground, and then repeatedly punching him in the mouth.
Challenger Bob Zwolinski, assaulted by opponent's daughter
Frank Avila, the lawyer for both Soto and Fichter, confirmed on Friday that Soto is one of the representative's three daughters but claims she was not involved in the incident.
Avila earlier called the incident a 'media stunt' that involved Zwolinski and two unpaid volunteers from Soto's campaign that he refused to name because they were 'private people'.
'He initiated physical contact,' Avila said of Zwolinski. 'And they defended themselves...if he ended up getting the worst of it, that's on him.'
Avila also said he believed Zwolinski put a staple in his own head for publicity.
'I mean, he starts the fight, he doesn't get the better of the fight...for a faltering, losing campaign, that is a great stunt for him.'
Rep. Cynthia Soto gained nearly 80 percent of the vote on Tuesday's victory. She has held the seat since 2000.
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