Arson caused fire at Calif. Planned Parenthood facility: authorities

A fire Wednesday night at a Planned Parenthood facility in Thousand Oaks was determined to be arson, authorities said.

Ventura County sheriff’s Capt. John Reilly said Thursday someone likely used a rock to shatter a window at the Planned Parenthood facility in the 1200 block of West Hillcrest Drive, then threw gasoline inside the office and ignited it.

The attack comes more than six weeks after the office was vandalized, he said. Details about the vandalism were not immediately available, but Reilly said it was minor.

Reilly said no threats were made to the Planned Parenthood office before the fire.

Tim Lohman, a detective with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, was at the scene Thursday morning, where workers were outfitting a wood-frame window where the glass had been shattered with a rock.

A few plants near the window were black, but the fire was extinguished quickly because of the sprinkler system, Lohman said.

“You’re putting the community at risk when you’re doing something like this,” Lohman said. “The reasons behind why the person did what they did, we don’t know. And that’s going to be part of the investigation and hopefully give us some foresight into why they targeted this specific location. Whether it’s the stuff that’s in the news recently, we don’t know.”

At about 11:30 p.m., Lohman said, the building’s fire alarm alerted deputies and firefighters, who arrived and found the broken window. The building’s sprinkler system doused the small fire. No one was inside at the time, he said.

After finding the broken window, firefighters reported smelling gasoline, said Capt. Mike Lindbery of the Ventura County Fire Department. Arson and sheriff’s investigators are examining the fire and have pulled surveillance video from the building’s security cameras.

Nationally, Planned Parenthood has come under attack after undercover video surfaced this summer allegedly showing executives discussing recovering fetal tissue from abortions for research.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said at a House hearing this week on Capitol Hill that the organization did not break the law. Richards defended the organization as its use of federal funds comes under scrutiny.

“Planned Parenthood has been in the news recently because of deceptively edited videos released by a group that is dedicated to making abortion illegal in this country,” Richards said. “This is just the most recent in a long line of discredited attacks.”

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) issued a statement that said, in part: “The toxic rhetoric directed at Planned Parenthood has dangerous consequences. It sends a signal that using violence to close clinics and intimidate healthcare professionals and women is ‘OK.’ It is not.”

Jenna Tosh, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, said in a statement Thursday that “we are determined to reopen as as soon as possible to serve the healthcare needs of our patients.”

“Our commitment today, and always, is to the health and safety of our patients and staff,” Tosh said in the statement.

The Thousand Oaks center provides more than 7,000 patients with a range of healthcare services each year, “over 90% of which is life-saving preventive care like cancer screenings, birth control, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treating,” the statement said.

Julie Mickelberry, vice president of public policy and community engagement for the local Planned Parenthood, said in a statement that “we are determined and committed to reopen our health center as soon as possible so we can give care to the men and women who rely on us.”

“These incidences are designed to intimidate and harass staff and the patients who visit our health centers,” Mickelberry said. “It’s discouraging when people want to stop men and women from accessing life-saving services.”

Kevin Bock, 27, who lives down the street from Planned Parenthood, went to survey the scene Thursday.

“I’m just a strong supporter of women’s rights,” Bock said, as he surveyed the damage. “I know what Planned Parenthood’s benefits are, and it makes absolutely no sense to me why people would do this kind of thing.”

Outside the Planned Parenthood offices Thursday, Patricio Gonzalez set up signs against abortion, something he has done for two years. He tries to go out there at least two times a week. Sometimes he will stand outside from one to six hours.

Gonzalez, who spoke with a police officer, said he had not seen anything suspicious. He wore a shirt with a cross and the words: “Blessed all day every day.” He held a white sign with the word “adoption” over a red heart. The back of the sign read: “Ask 2 see the ultrasound.”

“This is a peaceful, prayerful presence,” said Gonzalez, who lives in Thousand Oaks. “There’s a way to send a message.”

Residents say they have seen more protesters recently.

Pat Hanley, who has lived on the street about 20 years, said she and her daughter were threatened by a protester in their driveway about a month ago.

“The people that have been protesting have been getting increasingly more aggressive and angry,” Hanley said.

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