U.S. Marine arrested for firebombing Planned Parenthood clinic

The Department of Justice has announced the arrest of an active duty U.S. Marine and an accomplice, who used a Molotov cocktail to firebomb a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County, Calif.

Chance Brannon, a 23-year-old Marine, and 21-year-old Tibet Ergul, of Irvine, were arrested Wednesday without incident, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California.

A criminal complaint charges each man with damaging property affecting interstate commerce, and alleges they used fire or an explosive in the process, according to the statement released Wednesday.

Both Brannon and Ergul were anticipated to make their first appearances in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Wednesday afternoon.

“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,” said U.S. attorney Martin Estrada. “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.”

A joint investigation launched by local and federal law enforcement ultimately led to the two men’s arrest, said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Brannon and Ergul allegedly attacked the clinic in the early morning of March 13, 2022, by lighting and launching a Molotov cocktail at the entrance of the Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa clinic.

A resulting fire caused the site to close and effectively cancel around 30 appointments the following day, according to the criminal complaint.

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Security footage showed two men in hooded sweatshirts and face masks approach the Planned Parenthood at around 1 a.m. The men could allegedly be seen throwing an ignited device at the front door of the facility, sparking a fire which spread up the wall and across the ceiling.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, an ongoing joint investigation is now being carried out by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Both Brannan and Ergul face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the charges.