VISTA -- Tina Jillings, a community activist for Latinos and recent Vista City Council candidate, said Saturday that she has been the target of hateful threats, vandalism and intruder incidents affecting her family.

Jillings is a co-founder of the Vista-based Coalition for Justice, Peace and Dignity who ran unsuccessfully in Tuesday's election.

She and her supporters held a news conference Saturday in the parking lot of the Vista City Hall to reveal problems that began Nov. 2 and to seek support from city officials and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Jillings said the incidents started when a relative saw someone watching her in the family garage, then she heard an intruder that night in the backyard. An unknown person in her living room the next day set off the home's burglar alarm, she said. No one in the family was home at the time, she said, and no intruder was found.

That was followed by threats posted on a Web site indicating Jillings should be killed or "disappear" after an opinion piece that was printed in the North County Times, supporters allege.

Jillings said she called the Sheriff's Department on Thursday when she discovered graffiti on her family car that included the words "Traitor" and "Go home illegals."

"I haven't heard whether they're investigating," Jillings said.

Jan Caldwell, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman, said the agency responded immediately Thursday afternoon to Jillings' call, and the case will be assigned Monday morning to a detective.

"We will give this the due diligence it deserves," Caldwell said.

Enrique Morones, founder of faith-based groups Border Angels and Gente Unida, said he plans to take the situation to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis as a hate crime.

Yesenia Balcazar of Fallbrook, representing the Vista Human Rights Committee, said Jillings' supporters held the news conference to help protect Jillings by making the situation public.

"We are concerned for the safety of Tina and the whole community," said Balcazar. "What does this say about the safety of the community in general?"

Jillings said the problems have been difficult for her family.

"My husband is on tranquilizers right now because he is so stressed out," Jillings said. "I have a right to freedom of speech."

Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 740-3524 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.