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

An El Paso woman has been charged with arson after authorities say she set a fire outside Beth El Bible Church and left a bag containing threatening messages ahead of a Charlie Kirk vigil.

The El Paso Police Department said the blaze was reported on Sept. 17, 2025, at Beth El Bible Church. A pastor leaving the church reportedly spotted the flames and quickly extinguished them, preventing further damage.

Investigators later located a bag left inside the church along with a paper plate bearing hostile language directed at the vigil's namesake, as well as another plate with additional threatening wording. The affidavit cited by KFOX14 described the messages as a direct threat intended to intimidate attendees at the vigil for Charlie Kirk.

Authorities traced a business card left inside the bag to identify the suspect, Marynka Marquez, 35, of Denton. Marquez was arrested on Sept. 18 and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond. The affidavit says a volunteer who discovered the contents alerted police and that Marquez had told volunteers she planned to drop off a package for the Kirk vigil; a volunteer escorted her to the front of the stage where the bag was left.

Beth El Bible Church issued a statement saying the incident disheartened the congregation but that it would rely on local authorities and forgive. The church also thanked volunteers and first responders for their actions that day.

The case remains under investigation, with police continuing to review security at the church and at the vigil site. No additional charges have been announced at this time.