Authorities have reportedly determined that a fire at a Planned Parenthood facility in Southern California Wednesday night was caused by arson.
Ventura County sheriff’s Capt. John Reilly said someone likely used a rock to smash one of the windows at the Thousand Oaks facility, then poured gasoline inside the office and ignited it, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Officials say nobody was hurt in the blaze, which caused only minor damage.
The attack comes more than six weeks after the office was vandalized, Capt. Reilly said.
He said no threats were made to the Planned Parenthood office before the fire, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The fire comes as Planned Parenthood faces widespread backlash over a series of undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that show executives discussing supplying tissue from aborted fetuses for scientific research.
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, told House Republicans at a congressional hearing this week that her organization did not break the law.
“Planned Parenthood has been in the news recently because of deceptively edited videos released by a group that is dedicated to making abortion illegal in this country,” she said. “This is just the most recent in a long line of discredited attacks.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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