Man arrested for allegedly smashing the windows of Provo temple
Courtesy Provo Police Department
The glass paneling of the front doors of the Provo Utah Temple at 2200 Temple Hill Drive were broken after a man reportedly used a hammer to smash the windows before fleeing the scene in a vehicle on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. The damage can be seen in the upper left area of the door.Provo police responded to a call at 3:34 p.m. Tuesday from staff or security with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reporting that “a male, using a hammer, had smashed windows of the Provo Temple at 2200 Temple Hill Drive, and fled the area in a vehicle,” a media release states.
By just after 6 p.m., officers reportedly had tracked down the suspect’s vehicle and arrested Weston Huff, 30. According to the release, police were able to track down the vehicle after reviewing camera footage provided by temple staff revealing part of the license plate.
Provo Police Department spokesperson Janna-Lee Holland said officers ran the partial license plate through their database and found a possible match in Orem. When they arrived at the residence listed on the registration of the vehicle, she said, they found the vehicle and could see a hammer inside.
Holland said that when they went to the suspect’s residence, he was home, and they found clothing in his house that matched what the suspect was seen wearing in the camera footage. He was arrested at his home without resistance, and officers “had a warrant to seize the evidence,” Holland added. Huff reportedly has not shared a motive for damaging the temple.
The media release states, “Huff was booked into the Utah County Jail for Felony 3 Property Damage/Destruction.” He had not yet been formally charged for any crimes as of Wednesday afternoon. He has not yet been released from jail but is on bail for $2,500.
Holland said the damage of the temple was done to “the glass paneling in the front doors.” The damage is valued at $1,500 to $1,800, she said.
No other people were seen participating in the damage or in the car, Holland said. Also, no one in the temple was injured.


