Fire at Central Coast Abortion Clinic Investigated
Federal officials are investigating the fourth abortion clinic fire in the Central Coast area in less than two weeks, a small blaze set early Tuesday near Santa Cruz.
Burning road flares were thrown on the roof of the Choice Medical Clinic about 2:30 a.m. in an apparent arson attempt, authorities said.
The three flares landed on the roof’s asphalt shingles, sending smoke into the building and charring the roof slightly, said Sgt. Steve Hartness of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department.
“The shingles could have (ignited),” he said. “There was the potential for the whole building going up.”
There were no injuries. There are no suspects in this or three other apparent arson fires at abortion clinics in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo since Feb. 9.
“We’re looking into it, at whether these are all interconnected and whether those four, if they are connected, are connected to some national conspiracy,” said Rick Smith, an FBI spokesman.
The Ventura and Santa Barbara blazes were ignited with a device that included a tire, authorities said. The San Luis Obispo and Soquel fires were started in different fashion.
The Sheriff’s Department, fire investigators and a 6-month-old federal abortion violence task force are investigating.
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