Bride-to-be charged with arson after church fire day before wedding
A Utah bride-to-be has been charged with aggravated arson after allegedly setting fire to the church where she was scheduled to marry the next day.
Lenita “Tessa” Joy Moreno, 25, was arrested on Tuesday and charged. The arrest came about two-and-a-half weeks after a fire at a church building in Kaysville on July 10, according to KUTV.
The fire occurred in a meeting room of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in downtown Kaysville, Utah.
Court documents state that Moreno, her fiance and several relatives had been preparing the venue for the wedding. Family members told investigators they were about to leave when the fire alarm was triggered, Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported.
A Utah woman has been charged with aggravated arson after allegedly setting fire to a Mormon church where she was due to marry the following day. Photo / Google Maps
Those at the scene managed to extinguish the blaze before firefighters arrived. One person reportedly used water from wedding decorations and another used a fire extinguisher.
The fire caused more than US$108,000 ($187,000) in damages.
According to KUTV, investigators later determined the fire appeared to have originated beneath a chair. Documents said they found “items that were out of the ordinary, including what appeared to be a tampon”.
Officials interviewed those who had been inside the building and were told Moreno and the groom had gone to secure the premises shortly before the alarm sounded. The groom said the pair had entered the Relief Society room shortly beforehand.
The husband-to-be also told investigators the couple had visited an Ace Hardware store earlier that day to purchase hooks for the wedding setup, KUTV reported.
After reviewing security footage, authorities alleged Moreno stole between two and three lighters from the store. Investigators said the groom was not near her when the alleged theft occurred.
During an interview, Moreno reportedly acknowledged stealing from the store but declined to specify what items she had taken, the New York Post reported.
“It is believed that Lenita (Tessa) started a fire within a church building while five others were still inside,” court documents state.
“Lenita did not obtain a marriage licence for her own wedding that was to occur the following day after the fire but had lied stating she had.”
Moreno is being held without bail at the Davis County Jail.
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