By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-25 15:14:10 | Updated at 2025-04-05 15:49:52
1 week ago
A megachurch pastor faces jail for stalking a female congregation member after being caught twice breaking into her home on CCTV.
Marie Columna, 43, said she’s “still afraid” of Sergio Guardia, 49, a minister at the renowned Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Guardia was convicted by a jury last week on two counts of burglary and one count of stalking, according to Lynchburg Circuit Court and faces up to ten years in jail.
The megachurch in Lynchburg — founded by Jerry Falwell Sr. and affiliated with Liberty University — is one of the most celebrated Baptist churches in the country and is affiliated with the scandal-hit Southern Baptist Convention.
Marie, 43, a service coordinator for early intervention said she reported Guardia’s increasingly bizarre behavior before leaving the church in 2016 — but “nothing was ever done about it”.
The Lynchburg woman is speaking out about the 2023 break-ins, caught on security camera footage.
“I was out of state with my children visiting a friend, and I got a notification on my phone that a person was in my house,” Marie recalled.
The footage, captured at 11:30 p.m. on November 10, revealed Guardia walking through the door and creeping around the kitchen.
“Every light was off, and he was using the flashlight on his phone. It was very clear that he knew exactly where he was – that he had been in my house before.”
Guardia, wearing sweatshirt and jeans, appeared to notice the camera and ran away.
Marie, who had installed security cameras about a month before, due to a series of neighborhood break-ins, said she called police the next morning.
“I was coming back Sunday, so we agreed I’d call the officer when I returned home, and we’d do the report,” she recalled. “I wanted to press charges.”
The next night, while still out of town, Marie received another alert — this time showing Guardia entering her backyard.
The camera feed revealed Guardia entering through the basement — into her daughter’s bedroom.
“The entire basement is my daughter’s bedroom, which is like a den,” she explained.
Marie, who has a 17-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son, was in shock.
“He got in the same way the night before,” she said.
“My daughter has left that door unlocked before, and her friends use it to come over. The key is easy to find, right when you walk in, on a shelf at eye level.”
Police later confirmed there was no sign of forced entry, leaving Marie with a strong suspicion.
“Either the door was unlocked or he had a key.”
Fearing for her safety, Marie called police again.
“I reported that I was having a break-in, and it was Sergio Guardia, and he was currently in my house.”
Officers arrived, guns drawn, and searched every inch of the house, including bedrooms, closets, and even kitchen cabinets.
They also sent in a dog to search the property, but he wasn’t found.
“They searched the yard and the neighbor’s yards,” Marie explained.
When the police showed Marie a photo of Guardia, the connection was immediate.
“There was no question it was him. Within two hours of that break-in, Sergio was charged and arrested,” she said. “I never thought he’d be breaking into my house.”
Marie, who had a longstanding history with Guardia, described their initial friendship as close.
She first met him when she got married in 2007 and attended his Spanish-language church service at Thomas Road Baptist Church.
After separating from her husband in 2011, Guardia and his wife encouraged her to return to the church, promising support. But Guardia’s behavior soon became unusual, she said.
“He was supportive of me being separated from my husband, but he was telling me that I shouldn’t be talking to men after church or in the church,” she recalled.
“He saw how many male friends I had on Facebook and told me to delete and block them.”
After finalizing her divorce in 2015, she said Guardia’s behavior left her more worried.
“He started showing up at my house with groceries, but only when my kids weren’t home. I never asked for help, but he would come anyway,” she explained.
“He began visiting randomly, and even when I told him I wasn’t comfortable, he continued coming.”
She says Guardia’s visits escalated.
“At times, I would pull up to my house, and he was already on my steps. It felt like there was no way of getting away from him,” she said.
The situation reached a breaking point when Guardia allegedly confessed his feelings for her.
“He told me he was in love with me and wanted a relationship. I said I didn’t even want him at my house, let alone a relationship. I told him not to come back, but he did.”
She moved multiple times in an attempt to get away from Guardia.
However, she says Guardia managed to find her each time, even showing up uninvited.
“I came home in the middle of the day and found him in my living room on my laptop.
“When I confronted him, he gaslit me, saying he wasn’t doing anything wrong and acted excited to see me,” she recalled.
“He wouldn’t leave until I picked up my phone and said I was calling the police.”
Despite these encounters, she never reported him at the time due to fear of his influence.
“He’s not just a pastor, he’s a pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, a powerful and wealthy church. I didn’t believe I had any power against him, especially with no evidence,” she explained.
She eventually moved to her current home, but in the years leading up to the break-ins, she noticed suspicious activity on her online accounts.
“I started getting notifications that a new device had logged into my Yahoo email. When I checked the IP addresses, they were linked to Liberty University,” she said.
Marie later discovered that a Liberty email address was listed as a recovery option on her account, which she believed allowed Guardia to access her information.
Once she removed it, the login attempts stopped.
After years without direct contact, Marie was shocked to see Guardia on her security camera footage.
“I never imagined he would go this far,” she said. “Because he’s had no prior convictions, they gave him a $5,000 bond.
“I think he only spent four days in jail, and he’s been out ever since.”
With a pre-sentencing hearing scheduled for August 20, Marie remains fearful despite a protective order in place against the disgraced pastor.
“I don’t think he cares about anything,” she said.
Guardia, Marie says, is being backed by top administration at the church. Executive pastor Matt Wilmington was a witness of character for Guardia at the bond hearing when she testified.
She shared hope that her story would reach Guardia’s blind supporters, emphasizing the significance of the jury’s decision.
“I want them to hear my story, especially the fact that the jury found him guilty on all three counts, and that he’s now considered a felon,” she said.
“I want them to be scared. I want them to feel the same fear that anyone should have when facing the consequences of criminal activity.
“It’s typically women and children who are affected, and I believe it’s incredibly rare for those responsible to be held accountable.”
The Thomas Road Baptist Church did not immediately respond to request for comment.
