Wyoming bride arrested, accused of setting fire to Utah church she was set to get married in

KAYSVILLE — A Wyoming bride-to-be was arrested and accused of starting a fire at the church building where she was supposed to get married the next day.

Lenita Joy Moreno, 25, of Wyoming, was arrested Monday and booked into Davis County Jail for investigation of aggravated arson, retail theft under $500 and providing false information to police.

Just after 10 p.m. on July 10, Kaysville police and fire responded to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building at 198 W. Center Street. Police located a family inside the building who said they were inside setting up for a wedding that would occur the next day when a fire occurred, according to a police booking affidavit.

"When the fire was lit, there was a total of six people within the building. The cost of building repair to date is just over $108,000," the affidavit said.

Family members told police they were getting ready to leave the building when the fire alarm went off. The family members found a fire in the Relief Society room, and one person used water from some of the wedding decorations to help put the fire out, and another person used a fire extinguisher, police said.

While investigating, it was determined the fire began under a chair that was stacked along the wall, police said.

"Under one of the chairs appeared to be items that were out of the ordinary, including what appeared to be a tampon with the applicator on the floor," the affidavit said.

In the following days, police interviewed those at the scene of the fire. The groom said he and his bride-to-be, who identified herself as Tessa Moran but was later determined to be Moreno, had gone into the Relief Society room to help "secure the building" minutes before the alarm went off, police said.

The groom also said he and Moreno had gone to Ace Hardware and Chevron that night to buy drinks and decor hooks. Investigators were told by an Ace Hardware employee that Moreno had stolen some lighters, the affidavit said.

According to surveillance footage, Moreno allegedly took a couple of lighters and hid them in her shirt and shoe, then the couple left the store only paying for the hooks. The employee reported to police that Moreno was not near the groom when she allegedly stole the lighters, the police booking affidavit said.

During a police interview, Moreno admitted to stealing from Ace Hardware but would not tell police what items she took, the affidavit said. When asked about having a lighter, Moreno told police she doesn't carry one and wouldn't need to because she doesn't smoke, police said.

Police said Moreno never obtained a marriage license despite telling police she had.

"Lenita is from out of state and through the investigation has been found to be continually be deceptive and take drastic steps to hide her lies," the affidavit said.

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