- US Marine among individuals charged with firebombing a California Planned Parenthood clinic
- The suspects reportedly used a Molotov cocktail to set fire to the building
- The criminal complaint named 21-year-old Tibet Ergul and 23-year-old Marine Chance Brannon as the suspects
An active-duty United States Marine was among the two individuals charged with the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California.
Federal authorities said that the suspect used a Molotov cocktail to set fire to the building, causing damage to its structure. The two individuals who were named in the criminal complaint were identified to be 21-year-old Tibet Ergul and 23-year-old Marine Chance Brannon. The latter was found to be stationed at Camp Pendleton.
US Marine Charged With Firebombing
The complaint claimed that the two men attacked the clinic located in Costa Mesa on Mar. 13, 2022, at around 1:00 a.m. Furthermore, the affidavit described security videos that showed the two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks while making their way to the clinic, as per Fox News.
The Costa Mesa Police Department and fire department dispatched units to respond to the incident scene and extinguish the blaze. Later analysis of evidence that officials collected at the crime scene showed that the glass container and other materials contained gasoline.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the two suspects were charged on Wednesday morning with "using an explosive or fire to damage real property affecting interstate commerce." The defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for their actions.
The suspects were expected to make their first federal court appearance on Wednesday afternoon in Santa Ana, California. The DOJ's statement added that the two men ignited and threw a Molotov cocktail at the clinic entrance, forcing Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa to close the following morning, canceling roughly 30 appointments.
According to CNN, the clinic, which provides reproductive health services, such as abortion-related services, said that no one was harmed during the incident, thanking the FBI and Costa Mesa law enforcement on Wednesday.
Targeting a Planned Parenthood Clinic
In a statement, the spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, Nichole Ramirez, said they were fortunate and grateful that no one was injured. They added that they remain firm against those who wish to intimidate their workers, patients, and supporters.
Ramirez noted that safety was their priority and argued that they would not be intimidated or deterred in their mission to provide care to the community. The US Marine Corps declined to comment on the issue, citing ongoing legal matters.
US Attorney Martin Estrada said that his office takes the brazen attack that targeted the facility providing critical health care to thousands of Orange County residents very seriously. He added that while further damage was prevented, the suspects' actions were unacceptable.
The Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, Donald Alway, said that the depraved acts of the two suspects to use an improvised explosive device placed lives at risk, said CBS News.
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