By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-07-30 18:50:46 | Updated at 2026-07-30 22:20:53
3 hours ago
A woman from the US has been charged with allegedly torching a church just one day before she was due to marry there.
Lenita "Tessa" Joy Moreno, 25, was taken into custody on Monday, more than a fortnight after the blaze reportedly broke out inside the Latter-Day Saints Church in Kaysville.
The fire inflicted over £80,000 worth of damage on the Mormon church building, where Miss Moreno had been expected to exchange her wedding vows at the altar the following day.
On the day before the ceremony, Miss Moreno and her fiancé visited Ace Hardware to buy hooks, her groom later told investigators.
CCTV footage from the shop appeared to show that Miss Moreno had pocketed between two and three lighters during the visit, without her partner's knowledge.
Court documents indicate that Miss Moreno, along with relatives, had been putting the finishing touches on wedding preparations at the church when the fire alarm was triggered.
Five people remained inside the building at the time the blaze is believed to have been started.
Two individuals present attempted to tackle the flames using decorative water supplies and a fire extinguisher.
A woman from the US has been charged with allegedly torching a church just one day before she was due to marry there
Investigators examining the scene determined that the fire appeared to have originated beneath a chair.
Court filings noted the presence of "items that were out of the ordinary, including what appeared to be a tampon."
Prior to the blaze, the couple had reportedly entered the building together to secure it, according to the court documents.
When questioned by police, Miss Moreno acknowledged having stolen from the hardware shop but refused to specify which items she had taken.
The fire inflicted over £80,000 worth of damage on the Mormon church building
KAYSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Perhaps most tellingly, the probable cause document revealed: "Lenita did not obtain a marriage license for her own wedding that was to occur the following day after the fire but had lied, stating she had."
Miss Moreno has been booked into Davis County Jail facing multiple charges.
The most serious allegation is first-degree aggravated arson, which carries significant potential penalties.
She also faces a count of misdemeanour retail theft in connection with the lighters taken from Ace Hardware.
Additionally, records show she has been charged with providing false information to authorities.
The offence was linked to her refusal to disclose what she had stolen from the shop.
The probable cause document said: "It is believed that Lenita (Tessa) started a fire within a church building while 5 others were still inside."
