Third suspect identified in 2022 Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood firebombing

Federal officials Monday announced the arrest of a third suspect in a 2022 firebombing attack at a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood, following the arraignment of the two individuals already under arrest for the incident.

The third suspect, Xavier Batten, 21, of Florida, was arrested on Friday by FBI agents and is being held without bail. He made his first appearance in federal court on the same day of his arrest in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida.

Batten, along with Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, who is an active duty Marine, are charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion.

Ergul and Brannon additionally face one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

Brannon and Ergul pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Santa Ana, and a trial date has been set for Sept. 5. Batten is expected to appear for an arraignment in California in the coming weeks.

According to the indictment, the three conspired with one another to damage the Planned Parenthood clinic. Ergul and Brannon acquired the materials to create a Molotov cocktail while Batten informed the two on how to construct one, officials said. Ergul and Brannon were later reported to have arrived at the Costa Mesa facility at 1520 Nutmeg Place early March 13, 2022, and ignited and hurled the molotov cocktail at the entrance.

The Costa Mesa Police and Fire departments responded to extinguish the fire, and evidence collected at the scene showed that both the glass container and other materials contained gasoline, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The clinic reported that it had to cancel more than 30 appointments the next day.

“Those who deliberately put lives at risk and damage property by launching improvised explosive devices into public facilities will be sought and will be held accountable, as this case makes clear,” Donald Alway, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said in a statement.

“Anyone with information about the planning of violent attacks on public facilities — or the targeting of individuals — should immediately contact law enforcement in order to potentially prevent an act of violence that could prove deadly,” Alway said.