An active-duty U.S. Marine and another man have been arrested on federal charges alleging they firebombed an Orange County Planned Parenthood clinic last year.
Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano who is stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, were taken into custody Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
They are charged with using an explosive or fire to damage property affecting interstate commerce, officials said.
A criminal complaint alleges that Ergul and Brannon attacked the clinic during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, by lighting and throwing a Molotov cocktail at the Costa Mesa clinic, officials said.
The office was forced to close the next morning and canceled about 30 appointments.
Videos described in the affidavit allegedly show the two men wearing hoodies and face masks approaching the facility around 1 a.m., lighting the device and throwing it at the front door of the building.
“The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door,” the complaint details.
Police and firefighters responded to the scene and the blaze was extinguished.
An analysis found that a glass container and other materials at the scene contained gasoline, officials said.
Earlier this year, the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for information in the case
Both defendants are set to appear in court on Wednesday.
The charge both men face carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, officials said.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service continue to investigate the incident.
“My office takes very seriously this brazen attack that targeted a facility that provides critical health care services to thousands of people in Orange County,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a news release. “While it is fortunate that no one was physically harmed and responders were able to prevent the clinic from being destroyed, the defendants’ violent actions are entirely unacceptable.”
Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, called the incident “depraved” and said it would not be tolerated.
“The joint investigation among local and federal law enforcement led to today’s arrests and we will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to hold accountable those who deliberately endanger the community,” he said.
