A Wisconsin man has been arrested for firebombing the office of Wisconsin Family Action, a pro-life organization, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in May.
The alleged arsonist, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday.
Life News reports, “the suspect appears to be a biochemist and former research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in its Romero Lab. A LinkedIn profile for Roychowdhury says he recently began working at the Promega Corporation, which also is located in Madison, Wisconsin. As an undergraduate student, he also appears to have received an award for outstanding achievement while studying at the New Mexico State University College of Arts and Sciences.”
The arsonist had also vandalized the office with the slogan of Jane’s Revenge, a far-left extremist group that has encouraged terrorism — writing “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
BREAKING: Somebody vandalized and allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into Wisconsin Family Action’s — an anti-abortion rights group — Madison office, writing w/ graffiti, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
Story TK pic.twitter.com/6Wfnyeh9hQ
— Alexander Shur (@AlexanderShur) May 8, 2022
A press release from the Department of Justice said, “on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison, Wisconsin. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, ‘If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either’ and, on another wall, a large ‘A’ with a circle around it and the number ‘1312.’ During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.”
“In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents,” the press release continued. “The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.”
Roychowdhury is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
“This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”
In a manifesto posted by Jane’s Revenge on June 15, 2022, the group vowed to escalate their attacks in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. They also took credit for arsons and vandalism at pregnancy centers in “Madison WI, Ft. Collins CO, Reisertown MA, Olympia WA, Des Moines IA, Lynwood WA, Washington DC, Ashville NC, Buffalo NY, Hollywood FL, Vancouver WA, Frederick MA, Denton TX, Gresham OR, Eugene OR, Portland OR, among others.”
They stated, “we promised to take increasingly drastic measures against oppressive infrastructures. Rest assured that we will, and those measures may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti.”
“From here forward, any anti-choice group who closes their doors, and stops operating will no longer be a target. But until you do, it’s open season, and we know where your operations are,” the post stated. “Through attacking, we find joy, courage, and strip the veneer of impenetrability held by these violent institutions.”
Catholic Vote is tracking the attacks on churches and pregnancy centers since the draft opinion leaked in early May. As of March 28, 2023, the organization has tracked 83 attacks.
The FBI announced on June 17 that it is investigating the attacks as “potential acts of domestic violent extremism.”
“According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.”
The agency is urging anyone with information on the attacks to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), contact their local FBI office, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. They noted that those who report information may remain anonymous.
