Police arrested a suspect for the firebombing of a pro-life health center last year in what is part of a wider series of threats against anti-abortion advocates following the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last year.
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury is accused of bombing the Wisconsin Family Action last May 8.
The suspect allegedly threw a molotov cocktail into the pro-life center.
The same day, graffiti was found stating that “if abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.”
Roychowdhury has also been linked to a separate graffiti incident at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Law enforcement officials linked the suspect’s DNA to a partially-eaten burrito. Roychowdhury was arrested in Boston Tuesday while attempting to fly to Guatemala. He was scheduled to appear before the U.S. District Court in that city the following day.
The suspect has been charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
DNA pulled from a half-eaten burrito helped capture after nearly a year of investigation the man authorities believe firebombed a prominent Wisconsin anti-abortion lobbying group's office. https://t.co/VBWsFPa3JM
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 28, 2023
The Justice Department deemed this an effort to “terrorize and intimidate a private organization.”
The suspect allegedly carried out the attack after the decision of the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling was leaked to the press. The 2022 Dobbs case overturned Roe v. Wade and returned decisions regarding abortion to the individual states.
The arrest came after a number of threats against pro-life figures and health centers following the leak of the Dobbs decision.
Nicholas John Roske traveled from California to Maryland to allegedly target Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Roske arrived near the home of the justice armed with a pistol and a knife.
While near Kavanaugh’s house, Roske called 911 and said that he had potentially violent thoughts and said that he needed “psychiatric help.”
The operator asked Roske if he planned to harm the justice.
The suspect replied back, “correct.”
When he was arrested, police found pepper spray and zip ties. The suspect was arrested by the Montgomery County Police Department.
Roske pled not guilty to a charge of attempted assassination of a justice of the Supreme Court, which carries a potential life sentence.
The FBI offered a reward for the arrest of the Wisconsin bombing suspect. The manhunt followed a number of similar attacks on pro-life facilities since last year. A pro-life health center in Salem, Oregon was also firebombed.
