A Utah woman has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Mormon church where she was scheduled to be married the following day, causing an estimated $108,000 in damage.
Lenita Moreno, 25, was charged with aggravated arson after the blaze on July 10 in Kaysville, Utah. According to court documents reported by KUTV, the fire started in the Relief Society room of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building while Moreno, her fiancé, and family members were preparing for the wedding.
Fire started with tampon and lighters
The family reportedly said they were about to leave when the fire alarm went off. A bystander used water from wedding decorations to extinguish the flames, while another person used a fire extinguisher, the documents state.
Investigators said the fire appeared to have been started under a chair using unusual items, including what appeared to be a tampon. The groom 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.
Retail theft and false information
Police contacted the store and obtained video footage showing Moreno stealing two cigarette lighters, allegedly hiding them on her person. Moreno admitted to stealing from the store but would not disclose what she took, police said.
“It is believed that Lenita (Tessa) started a fire within a church building while five others were still inside,” the probable cause statement read. “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.”
Besides arson, Moreno was booked with retail theft and providing false information to a peace officer. She was being held without bail as of Tuesday, according to KUTV.
Wedding cancellations and insurance
The US event insurance company Eventsure estimates that 15 to 20% of weddings are called off. While a change of heart is not covered under a policy, Eventsure states: “Sometimes you have to cancel your wedding for reasons out of your control whether it’s a fire, illness, etc. In these cases, consider getting cancellation insurance.”
