Texas church arson suspect accused of hand-delivering written threats to Charlie Kirk vigil

A woman was apprehended for allegedly igniting a fire outside a church in El Paso, Texas. She is also accused of distributing threatening messages targeting the venue prior to a Charlie Kirk vigil scheduled to take place there, according to reports.

Marynka Marquez, 35, from Denton, faces arson charges following an incident that occurred at Beth El Bible Church last Wednesday, as stated by the El Paso Police Department.

“Upon arrival, authorities discovered that a woman had approached the church, placed a sizable bag against its exterior wall, and ignited it before fleeing,” the police explained. “Thankfully, the pastor happened to be leaving at that moment, noticed the fire, and extinguished it.”

According to an arrest affidavit referenced by KFOX14, Marquez allegedly left a bag within the church where the vigil honoring Kirk was set to occur the following day. This bag contained a paper plate inscribed with, “C Kirk is eating p— and s— in h—,” along with the message, “Soon you’ll help him eat and drink it all,” the report indicated.

Another plate found in the bag stated, “C is a 4 coward, C is a 4 Conservative, C is 4 Control,” as reported by KFOX14.

Marquez was tracked down by investigators who linked her to a business card found within the bag.

The El Paso Police Department noted, “Our investigation revealed that the bag contained a plate with hateful messages inscribed on it.”

Marquez was arrested on September 18 and is currently held at the El Paso County Detention Facility under a $50,000 bond.

On the day of the event, Marquez informed volunteers at the church that she intended to drop off a package for the vigil honoring Kirk, KFOX14 reported, citing the affidavit. One of the volunteers escorted her to leave her bag on the front stage.

The affidavit further suggested that one volunteer who uncovered the bag’s contents regarded it as a direct threat against the church, aimed to intimidate participants of the vigil for the late conservative figure.

In response to Marquez’s arrest, Beth El Bible Church expressed their disappointment in facing such circumstances, stating, “We uphold the local authorities’ responsibility to act. As a church, we choose to embrace forgiveness. We are grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for safeguarding our facilities and our lives.”