A former pastor at the Spanish campus of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, has been convicted of stalking a former church member. The charges of which Sergio Guardia was convicted stem from two incidents that occurred in November 2023.
Thomas Road Baptist Church was famously founded by Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell Sr. in 1956. The church is now pastored by Falwell’s son, Jonathan Falwell. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
On March 12, Guardia, 49, was found guilty of two counts of burglary and one count of stalking.
Following Guardia’s conviction, Marie Columna, whom Guardia has been convicted of stalking, is telling her story.
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Speaking to WSET, Columna recounted the incidents of Nov. 10-11, 2023, when Guardia entered her home twice while she was out of town.
“I just was yelling, there’s a guy in my house, there was a man in my house last night,” Columna said. She captured video and images of Guardia in her home via security cameras.
The incidents were the culmination of a years-long pattern of stalking, Columna said. She recounted that she had been an attender of Thomas Road Baptist Church’s Spanish-speaking campus, where Guardia was pastor, until she left in 2016 after Guardia made her feel uncomfortable.
Columna said that the issues began shortly after her divorce was finalized and Guardia took an active interest in counseling her. She said it soon became clear that Guardia had a romantic interest in her.
Columna said that when she approached the leadership of Thomas Road Baptist Church to express her discomfort with Guardia, “their response towards me was negative. They were supportive of [Guardia].”
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Columna said that Guardia engaged in a pattern of stalking her for more than six years. She further expressed that she is still confused as to Guardia’s motive for breaking into her home.
