THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Oct. 1 (UPI) — Authorities are investigating a fire they say was criminally set at a Planned Parenthood office near Los Angeles, investigators said Thursday.
The blaze was set at the Thousand Oaks office Wednesday night — the same office that was also vandalized six weeks ago, police said.
Investigators believe the culprit used a rock to smash a window and then flung gasoline inside the office and set fire to it. Damage to the office was minor, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Planned Parenthood offices around the United States have been targeted in recent months since a series of “undercover” videos was released that purportedly shows personnel discussing the sale of fetal body parts.
A strong revolt against the organization has followed, including repeated attempts by lawmakers to strip federal funding to Planned Parenthood — which has long received grant money. On Wednesday, Congress passed a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown that loomed over the organization’s continued federal funding.
“You’re putting the community at risk when you’re doing something like this,” Ventura County Sheriff’s detective Tim 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.”
Lohman also said the fire was extinguished rather quickly due to the office’s sprinkler system.
