Woman jailed for arson after starting fire at Utah LDS church the day before her wedding

KAYSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — A woman is behind bars after she allegedly stole lighters and started a fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse while setting up for her wedding the following day.

Lenita “Tessa” Moreno, 25, has been arrested on charges of aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and two misdemeanor counts of retail theft and providing false information to police.

According to court documents, on July 10, the Kaysville Fire Department asked police to respond to a fire investigation at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 198 W Center Street.

When officers arrived, they learned that the fire marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) were involved in investigating the cause of the fire, which was sparked in the Relief Society room of the building.

Several individuals were in the church when the fire alarm went off and reported that they found the blaze and extinguished it using water from wedding decorations and a fire extinguisher. They were a bride, groom, and the family of the groom setting up for a wedding that was taking place the following day.

Investigators learned that the fire appeared to have originated from under a stack of chairs, where several items, including a tampon, were located. They were taken into evidence by the ATF.

During a later interview with the groom, he reported that, on the night of the fire, he and Moreno went to Ace Hardware to buy hooks for set-up, and Chevron to get drinks. While in the building, he said that he and Moreno were in the Relief Society room right before the fire alarm went off.

Detectives obtained surveillance footage from the two businesses and found that Moreno had allegedly stolen two or three lighters from Ace Hardware. Video showed her slipping one under her shirt and bending down to put one or two into her shoe.

She then rejoined her fiancé, and they purchased the hooks together. Moreno did not pay for the lighters.

According to the arrest statement, there were six people in the building when she allegedly started the fire, and the damage it caused will cost over $108,000 to repair.

During an interview with Moreno on July 27, she reportedly admitted that she gave police a false birthdate on the night of the fire. When asked about stealing from Ace Hardware, she admitted to taking something but did not want to say what.

“Lenita [Moreno] is from out of state and through the investigation has been found to… continually be deceptive and take drastic steps to hide her lies,” the arresting officer writes.

Police found that she had lied about obtaining a marriage license for the wedding, which was the next day, but never actually got it.

Moreno was arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail, where she is being held without bail.