2 Men, Including Marine, Charged in Firebombing of California Planned Parenthood Clinic

A Planned Parenthood facility in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Two men who allegedly used a Molotov cocktail to firebomb a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, California in 2022, were arrested and charged on June 14, according to officials.

Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, were arrested “without incident” and charged with using an explosive or fire to damage real property affecting interstate commerce, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.

Both defendants appeared in court in Santa Ana on Wednesday.

If found guilty, they could be sentenced to up to 20 years behind bars.

“The depraved act of launching an improvised explosive device into a public facility put lives at risk and will not be tolerated,” said Donald Alway, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

“The joint investigation among local and federal law enforcement led to today’s arrests and we will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to hold accountable those who deliberately endanger the community.”

Prosecutors allege that Ergul and Brannon attacked the clinic, which offers birth control pills and abortion services, during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, by igniting and throwing a Molotov cocktail at the clinic entrance, setting it on fire.

The Planned Parenthood clinic was forced to close the following morning owing to the damage and subsequently canceled approximately 30 appointments, prosecutors said. Nobody was harmed during the incident.

FBI Offers Reward

CCTV footage taken from the day of the incident shows two men dressed in hooded sweatshirts and masks approaching the clinic at approximately 1 a.m., according to prosecutors.

The two men then ignited the Molotov cocktail and threw it at the front door of the building, prosecutors said.

“The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door,” according to the complaint (pdf). The two men then ran away from the scene, prosecutors said.

Fire crews were called to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire.

The Orange County Crime Laboratory later analyzed evidence recovered at the scene and said it showed that the glass container and other materials including gauze sponges contained gasoline.

According to the manager of the clinic, an estimated $1,050 worth of damage was inflicted on the building.

The FBI in January offered a $25,000 reward for information on the incident, which it said was part of “a national effort to bring awareness to a series of attacks and threats targeting reproductive health service facilities across the country.”

In April, a witness called the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center stating that they knew the identities of the two men because they were high school friends.

The witness further told the FBI that Ergul allegedly sent them text messages “admitting his involvement” in the attack, “including photographs of the Molotov cocktail,” according to the complaint.

Planned Parenthood ‘Will Not Be Deterred’

Cellphone data later allegedly placed Brannon near the Planned Parenthood clinic the night of the attack, according to the complaint.

Nichole Ramirez, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday, “While we are fortunate and grateful that no one was harmed, we stand firm against those who would wish to intimidate our staff, patients, and supporters.”

“Their safety is our highest priority, and we will not be deterred in our mission to provide expert, compassionate care to our community, as we have done for over 50 years,” Ramirez added.

Kate Corrigan, an attorney representing Brannon, said in a statement to USA Today that her client would not be pleading guilty during his June 14 appearance in court.

“At this time, we are early in the proceedings. There will not be a guilty plea today ... I will be receiving the discovery in the case in the near future. There is a lot of work ahead of me on this case. I have no further comment at this time,” Corrigan said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the U.S. Marine Corps for further comment.

It is not immediately clear if Ergul has legal representation. The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Justice for further comment.

“My office takes very seriously this brazen attack that targeted a facility that provides critical health care services to thousands of people in Orange County,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada in a statement. “While it is fortunate that no one was physically harmed and responders were able to prevent the clinic from being destroyed, the defendants’ violent actions are entirely unacceptable.”