'Rat poison in your food': Roommates of accused NY Capitol plotter recall chilling threats

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Long before federal investigators accused Jessica Bowie of plotting an attack on New York’s State Capitol, her Albany roommates say they were already dealing with frightening threats inside their own home.

The roommates spoke to the New York Post and recalled red flags that they allegedly missed.

Roommate recalls Jessica Bowie's threats

For Ivory Thomas, what happened inside the Albany apartment was not something that began with the federal investigation.

She told the New York Post that she lived with Bowie for months and repeatedly felt unsafe around her.

Thomas said she contacted police several times over what she described as threats and confrontations involving Bowie.

Looking back, she said the situation became increasingly difficult to handle.

One alleged threat came while Thomas was in the living room speaking with her boyfriend. According to Thomas, Bowie walked past her and said, “I’ll bomb this whole place down.”

Thomas said she immediately contacted police after hearing the remark.

She claimed she was told the situation amounted to a dispute between two people and that officers could not take further action.

Another alleged incident was even more disturbing. Thomas told the Post that her boyfriend overheard Bowie saying, “Do you know how easy it is to put rat poison in your food?”

Friends barely recognized Jessica Bowie

The account from Zephyr Brennan adds another unusual layer to the story.

Brennan told the NY Post that she had known Bowie years earlier, before Bowie converted to Islam.

From 2016 to 2019, Brennan remembered her as a writer and artist and described her as a mother to an 11-year-old son who had struggled with serious personal issues.

But when Brennan later moved into the same home, she did not initially realize she was living with her former friend.

Brennan said Bowie had been wearing a niqab and largely kept to herself, retreating to her bedroom whenever she returned home.

The situation changed dramatically when Bowie was forced to leave the apartment in July over unpaid rent, according to the Post.

Brennan said Bowie recognized her and became aggressive, allegedly breaking plates and making threats.

Police were contacted and ultimately escorted Bowie from the property, according to messages provided to the media outlet.

Brennan also told the Post that Bowie had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that she had noticed periods when Bowie appeared unwell.

The roommate accounts have emerged after federal authorities charged Bowie in connection with an alleged plot targeting the New York State Capitol.

According to the Justice Department, investigators allege Bowie communicated online with an FBI source she believed was connected to a radical extremist group, surveilled the Capitol, and discussed using an explosive device against the building and state senators.