A Utah woman set fire to the church where she was scheduled to get married a day before the wedding, allege authorities investigating what may have been an extreme case of cold feet.
Lenita Moreno, ۲۵, was arrested on a count of aggravated arson in connection with the ۱۰ July blaze, which investigators say caused $۱۰۸,۰۰۰ in damage and was started using a tampon and other flammable items.
According to court documents reported on by Utah news outlet KUTV, the fire started in the Relief Society room of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building when Moreno, her unidentified groom and family members were setting up in the church building for the couple’s wedding the next day.
The family reportedly said they were about to leave the church in Kaysville when the fire alarm went off. A bystander used water from wedding decorations to put out the blaze while another used a fire extinguisher, said the documents cited by KUTV.
Investigators said 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 allegedly told detectives he and Moreno were in the room where the fire started. He also reportedly told detectives he and Moreno had been to an Ace Hardware earlier in the day.
Police said they contacted the store, and employees there provided video footage of Moreno stealing two cigarette lighters. Police alleged they could see Moreno walk towards the lighters, take an unknown number and hide them on her person.
They said Moreno admitted to stealing from the Ace Hardware, but that she would not disclose what she had taken.
“It is believed that Lenita (Tessa) started a fire within a church building while five others were still inside,” the probable cause stated. “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.”
Beside arson, Moreno was booked with retail theft and providing false information to a peace officer.
Moreno, who KUTV reported was set to be married under the name of Tessa Moran, was being held without bail as of Tuesday.
The US event insurance company Eventsure estimates that ۱۵ to ۲۰% of weddings are called off.
While a change of heart is not covered under a policy, Eventsured 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.”
