One of the original leaders of the anti-light rail movement in south Phoenix claims God "judged" Congressman Ed Pastor for "bringing death" to the community by supporting light rail and punished him with a fatal heart attack.

At a City Council meeting last week,Celia Contreras told council members she was "coming in the name of Lord Jesus Christ" with a message: Stop the light rail or the "punishment" will continue.

It was unclear to the audience where Contreras was going with her remarks, but the council soon learned.

Contreras, who operates a window tinting shop on Central Avenue, handed members a flier that featured a photo of Pastor, who died of a heart attack in November.

The flier also documents a conversation Contreras said she had with God, where God said he gave Pastor a heart attack because he was the "architect of the light rail," and warned that he would continue to "judge" those who support it.

"I weigh their acts on a balance for those who have done wrong in advancing this project and they shall receive their pay. For I am the Almighty," the flier said.

Pastor was a champion of public transportation and one of the main federal proponents of light rail.

Pastor's daughter, Laura Pastor, is a Phoenix city councilwoman and left the dais after she saw the flier.

Politics gets personal

Contreras' business fronts onto Central Avenue, where a six-mile light rail extension is planned to connect the current light rail line to Baseline Road. The extension will require whittling Central Avenue down to two vehicular lanes.

Last year, a group of concerned business owners formed a group dubbed "Four Lanes or No Train," demanding the council maintain all of the lanes on Central Avenue.

Contreras spoke before the council numerous times, telling the council that her business and others would not survive if vehicle traffic was lessened.

The council did not heed the request.

A separate group, "Building a Better Phoenix" was born at that time. That group collected enough signatures to force an election in August, asking voters to cancel all future light rail.

Building a Better Phoenix leader Susan Gudino said her group has never been associated with Contreras and did not agree with the comments she made before the council.

"When I heard what she said, my mouth dropped," Gudino said. "We do not support that. We do not think that."

Councilwoman Laura Pastor responds

At a council meeting Tuesday, Laura Pastor addressed the flier.

"I chose not to take the message because I didn't feel that God was speaking to me. I felt at that moment that the devil was speaking to me," she said.

Pastor said she grew up knowing that as a part of a political family, she would be a target. Her parents taught her to be strong and have courage.

"I have strong spiritual faith. I also know my father's work and it will stand for the test of time," she said.

Mayor Kate Gallego said Contreras' comments were "deeply inappropriate."

"It was a new low last week. To use the death of a loved one to try to score political points is deeply inappropriate, and you handled it with grace," Gallego said, addressing Pastor.

Reach the reporter at jessica.boehm@gannett.com or 480-694-1823. Follow her on Twitter @jboehm_NEWS.

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