PROVO, Utah, Dec. 13, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Court documents say the man arrested after a hammer was used to damage windows of the Provo Temple, when asked if his car had been at that site, “said something to the effect of ‘if it was, it was because Christ told them to go there.'”
Weston Forrest Avery Huff was taken into custody Tuesday for investigation of property destruction with damage of $1,500 to $4,999, a third-degree felony.
The incident happened at 3:32 p.m. Monday, according to Huff’s affidavit. An officer of the Provo Police Department responded to the Provo Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 2200 North Temple Drive.
“It was reported a 20-year-old male wearing a black and white flannel was seen smashing the front door windows of the LDS temple at that address with a hammer,” says the probable cause statement for Huff, who is 30. “The male was seen leaving in a red Subaru with gold trim.”
LDS Church security obtained a video of the vehicle and a video of the suspect, later identified as Huff, the statement says. A partial license plate number was also recorded.
“I was able to locate a vehicle matching the described vehicle through an available police database,” the officer’s statement says. It was seen traveling south on University Avenue Tuesday afternoon, and Huff was identified as the registered owner. His facial features matched those of the suspect captured on security video, the statement says.
Officers traveled to Huff’s address, looked through the window of his vehicle, and saw a hammer on the seat, the statement says.
Huff was taken into custody just after 6 p.m. Tuesday and was read his Miranda rights, the statement says.
“When asked if his vehicle was at the temple, he said something to the effect of ‘if it was, Christ told them to go there.'”
A flannel jacket matching the description of the one worn by the suspect was found across the hall from his residence, the statement says.
Huff was booked into the Utah County jail with his bail set at $2,500. As of Wednesday morning, he was not listed among current jail inmates.
