PROVO, Utah, Dec. 7, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A Provo man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly burglarizing the Provo City Center Temple.
Luis Charles Adam Zamora Jr., 33, faces the single count of burglary, a third-degree felony.
The Provo City Center Temple structure was built in 1898 and originally served as a tabernacle by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After the interior was gutted by a fire in 2010, a new interior was built, and the structure was dedicated as the Provo City Center Temple in 2016.
The break in
A Provo Police officer was called to the scene, 50 S. University Parkway.
“An individual had broken a window into a portion of the temple the night before,” the officer wrote in Zamora’s probable cause statement. “Video of the incident was available and a photo of the individual involved was collected.
“The individual entered into the building by utilizing a metal tray to break a stained glass window and unlocking the door. No items were taken in the incident. The value of the window was estimated at approximately $4,000.”
The video was shared with other law enforcement agencies, and an agent with Adult Probation and Parole recognized Zamora as someone under supervision, the statement says.
Zamora was detained for questioning. Post Miranda, Zamora agreed to be interviewed, “initially advised that he did not go to the temple the night before,” the statement says. “Luis was shown the photo of him from the security footage. Luis then advised that he did go to the temple and entered the property because he was cold and he did not want to be on the street,” saying he entered through an open door.
Zamora said he took a bottle of water and left the building without taking anything else. The cost of the window makes breaking it a felony, the statement says.
Bail for Zamora was set at $5,000.
