Overview
- Firefighters and police responded to a blaze at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kaysville on July 10 that started beneath a chair while six people were inside and was put out by bystanders with water and a fire extinguisher.
- Authorities arrested 25-year-old Lenita “Tessa” Joy Moreno on Monday, July 27, and booked her into Davis County Jail on first-degree aggravated arson plus misdemeanor counts of retail theft and providing false information; she is being held without bail.
- Investigators say fire-scene evidence showed the fire used unusual ignition items, including what appeared to be a tampon, and police reviewed hardware-store surveillance that they say shows Moreno taking two to three lighters earlier that day.
- Court documents say Moreno initially identified herself under an alias and falsely told others she had a marriage license she did not obtain, details prosecutors cite in the probable cause affidavit.
- The blaze caused about $108,000 in estimated repairs, the case remains under a multi-agency investigation by local fire and police, the fire marshal and the ATF, and Moreno faces penalties that for first-degree aggravated arson can include long prison terms if convicted.