Local pastor afraid for her life due to continuing occurrences of vandalism

POCATELLO – For years, local pastor Jacqualine Thomas has tried to help people in crisis by creating a supportive housing facility.

But despite her work in the community, she struggles to sleep at night, and has begun to fear for her life.

“There’s a problem right now, and I’m upset about it. Very upset about it. Because this is my home, this is my church, this is God’s church, and what’s happening here should not be happening,” says Thomas.

For the last year, Thomas has noticed subtle acts of vandalism, not only at her Praise Temple of God church, but also at her own home.

And in the last two months, the acts have ramped up.

“Most of the damage is done to where my bedroom is. Whatever they’re using, the fumes from it is coming into my room, and it’s causing me to have breathing problems,” Thomas says.

On her bedroom side, the paint is discolored, and appears to be sprayed on.

She says she sometimes hears banging noises in the middle of the night, and notices scratch marks all over, that sometimes form letters.

All that on top of dead patches of grass, as well as chips taken out of cement and decoration that show up at her house and the church.

She has reached out to police, and wants to get word out to community members to let them know this is happening.

“I pray that whoever knows who’s doing this, would please, please turn them in, because it needs to stop,” she says, tearing up.

Thomas has been staying in a hotel the last few days paid for by another pastor in the community.

This story was first published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.