MURRIETA —— Campaign signs have gone missing in Murrieta. Could it be the wind? Mischievous kids? Folks moving signs to mow lawns?

Murrieta police suggest any are possibilities. Ask candidates in the Murrieta school board race, though, and they'll tell you none of the above.

Five of eight candidates running for a seat on the Murrieta Valley Unified School District board of trustees said in recent interviews that many of their election signs have mysteriously disappeared —— and were likely purposely removed —— over the last few weeks.

In contrast, two candidates running for a seat on the Perris Union High School District board, another local election, said they have not seen or heard of missing signs in their region —— yet.

Some Murrieta candidates said the stolen signs are a continuation of an established, not-so-hallowed tradition.

Reports of stolen or vandalized signs in Murrieta date back to at least 1997. More recently, in the months leading up to the Murrieta recall election in May, accusations of sign-stealing and defacing were commonplace.

Murrieta candidates —— some shocked, some just dismayed —— expressed different views on the missing signs. One called it politics as usual; another said it's an affront to the First Amendment; a third offered that it shows he has political enemies; while others described it as dirty campaigning.

Whether the alleged thefts will become a criminal matter remains to be seen. Murrieta police Sgt. Bob Landwehr said Monday that he is unaware of any reports of election signs being stolen. He did say, however, that signs can disappear in many ways, not all of which are nefarious.

Kids pull up the wood sticks the signs are adhered to and use them as play swords; business and homeowners remove signs from their yards or storefronts; and wind and lawn mowing can play a role, he said.

Murrieta code enforcement officials said they have not touched the signs this month.

"During the time of election, that's basically free speech," said Linda Mejia, senior code enforcement officer.

If someone is caught vandalizing or stealing signs and the victim wants to press charges, the suspect would be arrested and the case sent to the district attorney's office to see if they want to prosecute, Landwehr said.

While the candidates acknowledged that there are many reasons why a sign could go missing, they said they believe it's more than just the weather or mischievous students.

"There were a massive amount taken down, and absentee ballots are coming out," said candidate Richard Ackerman of his missing signs and the timing of the alleged thefts.

The other candidates who reported as much in interviews are incumbent Kris Thomasian and challengers Robin Crist, Jacqueline Hanny and John Wells. Candidate Jan Fletcher said a few of her signs are missing, but she attributes that to "folks mowing lawns" or the wind. Candidate Wyatt Haupt has not put signs up, and candidate Sheree Jederberg could not be reached for comment.

As for Ackerman, he claims that up to 50 of his signs —— each of which cost $3 —— are missing.

"There is no rational explanation for it," he said. "The sign wars are on. The big clue is when you go out and put your signs up, and then the next day you go out and see your sign gone and your opponent's sign in its place."

Murrieta Trustee Paul Diffley is supporting Ackerman's candidacy, and recently put up signs on his behalf, only to notice many are gone, he said.

"I don't think it's the wind," Diffley said. "I think somebody is taking them down."

Wells also said he has noticed that at least two dozen of his signs have gone missing.

"Many of my friends who were given signs and put signs up on the street would call and notify us that the signs were not there," Wells said, adding that he has gone out on at least three occasions to place signs around the community. "There are people who don't like the idea that I am running. I am sure I have some enemies who prefer I wouldn't run."

Likewise, Hanny, Crist and Thomasian said they have noticed that between a handful and as many as 20 signs they have put up recently have been removed.

"I hear this happens during every election," Crist said. "I really don't pay a lot of attention to that. I'm not putting any energy into trying to figure out who, why, what."

Hanny said she has noticed that several signs she put up around her son's school, Murrieta Elementary, are missing, and that whoever took them is acting childish.

"Everybody has got their opinion about who they want to win," she said of the school board race. "Obviously, they are reacting in a very immature manner."

Thomasian said about 20 of her signs are missing, and described the situation as "someone's version of campaigning against me."

Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.