Utah man charged with aggravated arson and use of explosive device at the LDS Conference Center

After hurling Molotov cocktails at the Conference Center for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City, a 33-year-old man has been charged with two charges of aggravated arson and two counts of using an explosive or incendiary device.

On January 11, fire departments discovered Justin Lee Cromar on the steps of the state Capitol, where he informed the emergency personnel that he had thrown the Molotov cocktail to burn down the structure. In addition, he claimed that before going to the Capitol, he threw another at the Church Conference Center.

Troopers from the Utah Highway Patrol were requested to help. Upon inspection, workers on the west side of the building discovered an undamaged Molotov cocktail in a planter box. On the west side of the Conference Center, a planter box had an entire Molotov cocktail.

Cromar is seen on security tape from the church igniting the wick and tossing it into the planter box, where it partially ignited. The small fire started by the Molotov cocktail only caused minor smoke damage to the Capitol’s stairs at the east door. Witnesses say that the man was drunk and “sick of people investigating him and following him.”