Two individuals, including a U.S. Marine, were apprehended on Wednesday morning for their involvement in the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California last year. The suspects, identified as Chance Brannon, an active-duty Marine, and Tibet Ergul, were accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the clinic’s entrance on March 13, 2022. They now face charges of using an explosive or fire to damage real property affecting interstate commerce.
According to federal prosecutors, surveillance footage captured Ergul and Brannon at the Planned Parenthood facility at 1 a.m., disguised in hooded sweatshirts and face masks, as they launched the explosive device. The fire that ensued forced the clinic to close temporarily and cancel around 30 appointments.
Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, condemned the act as a depraved act of endangering lives and affirmed that such behavior would not be tolerated.
The investigation into Ergul and Brannon began after an unnamed witness contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center, identifying them as the individuals in the released footage. The FBI had previously offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest in the incident.
The witness, who claimed to have been friends with Ergul and Brannon in high school, provided federal investigators with a text message allegedly sent by Ergul admitting his involvement in the firebombing, accompanied by an image of the Molotov cocktail. Investigators believed that the background of the image matched the interior of Brannon’s Dodge Challenger, which was occasionally parked near the Camp Pendleton barracks where he was stationed.
Both Camp Pendleton and attorneys representing Brannon declined to comment on the matter. Attorneys representing Ergul did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that Brannon is still on active duty.
Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernardino Counties expressed appreciation for the work of the FBI, Costa Mesa Police Department, and Costa Mesa Fire Department, which led to the arrests. The organization affirmed its commitment to provide safe care to their community and emphasized that they would not be deterred by those who seek to intimidate them.
If convicted, the two suspects could face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
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