The Justice Department announced it has charged a Wisconsin man with firebombing an anti-abortion group's office in May 2022.
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, was charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive and was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday.
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Roychowdhury's DNA was identified as the suspect after authorities recovered it from a "partially eaten burrito wrapped in waxed paper" along with items he disposed of in the trash, per a court filing.
He is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail through a window of the headquarters of the Wisconsin Family Action organization, igniting a fire in the building. Police also observed graffiti saying, "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either,” and a large “A” with a circle around it along with the number “1312."
The incident occurred on May 8, 2022, only days after the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that showed the court was likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and would return abortion laws to the states. More than a month later, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization did indeed overturn Roe.
In the aftermath of the leaked opinion, several crisis pregnancy centers and anti-abortion groups' offices were attacked.
“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,” Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general of the DOJ'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.”
“For months, our detectives remained committed to finding those responsible for this arson. When tips and leads were limited, they never gave up. Their persistence is proof that hateful acts do not have a place in Madison. I applaud their work and want to thank our federal partners for all of their help leading up to this arrest," Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said in a statement.
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The suspect was leaving the U.S. on a one-way ticket to Guatemala City, Guatemala, out of Boston, after he traveled to Portland, Maine, from Madison, Wisconsin, earlier in March. Law enforcement intercepted Roychowdhury before he could depart from Boston via plane.
If Roychowdhury is convicted on the one count, he could face anywhere from five years to 20 years in prison.