Wisconsin man charged with firebombing offices of pro-life group

Name: Sen. Mike Lee presses AG Garland on lack of arrests in pro-life attacks
Uploaded: 2023-03-02T10:25:45-05:00
Duration: 6 min 41 s
Description: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, discusses U.S.-Japan relations and the handling of threats to Supreme Court justices, Catholic churches and pregnancy centers.

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Sen. Mike Lee presses AG Garland on lack of arrests in pro-life attacks

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, discusses U.S.-Japan relations and the handling of threats to Supreme Court justices, Catholic churches and pregnancy centers.

A Wisconsin man has been charged in last year's firebomb attack of a pro-life center in Madison, Wisconsin, according to a Tuesday press release from the Department of Justice.

During the May 2022 attack on Wisconsin Family Action, vandals threw a Molotov cocktail inside the building and then started a separate fire when it didn't ignite, investigators told Fox News Digital at the time. Photos showed the exterior of the building was also tagged in cursive: "if abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either."

According to the DOJ's release, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive, and was arrested earlier on Tuesday in Boston.

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The offices of pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action were attacked with a Molotov cocktail in May 2022. (Molly Beck/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS)

"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," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement. "I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served."

"Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement," Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division also said in the statement. "Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions."

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The Madison, Wisconsin offices of pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action were attacked and vandalized by rioters in May 2022. (Reuters)

In its statement, the DOJ said it collected DNA from the crime scene and identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect this month after matching the sample to DNA taken from trash law enforcement observed him discard.

He was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport while attempting to travel to Guatemala City. The date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not yet been set.