A Utah woman has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Kaysville just one day before her scheduled wedding. Authorities are investigating the incident, which reportedly caused $108,000 in damage, as a potential case of extreme cold feet.
Lenita Moreno, 25, was arrested on a count of aggravated arson in connection with a blaze that occurred on July 10. According to court documents reported by KUTV, the fire started in a Relief Society room while Moreno, her unidentified groom, and family members were setting up for the wedding scheduled for the following day.
Family members stated they were preparing to leave the Kaysville church when the fire alarm sounded. A bystander reportedly used water from wedding decorations to help extinguish the flames, while another individual used a fire extinguisher, according to documents cited by KUTV.
Investigators stated the fire appeared to have been started under a chair using items that were out of the ordinary, including what appeared to be a tampon. The groom reportedly told detectives that he and Moreno were in the room where the fire started and that they had visited an Ace Hardware earlier that day.
Police contacted the hardware store, where employees provided video footage showing Moreno stealing two cigarette lighters. While Moreno reportedly admitted to stealing from the store, she would not disclose exactly what she had taken. Moreno was also booked for retail theft and providing false information to a peace officer.
According to probable cause statements, it is believed Moreno started the fire while five other people were still inside the building. Although she was scheduled to be married the next day, Moreno had reportedly lied about obtaining a marriage license.
As of Tuesday, Moreno was being held without bail. She was reportedly set to be married under the name Tessa Moran.
