Planned Parenthood in Thousand Oaks reopens after arson attack
Investigators say a fire that erupted at Planned Parenthood offices in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday night was the work of an arsonist.
The Planned Parenthood clinic in Thousand Oaks reopened Monday after an arsonist set fire to the building last week.
The West Hillcrest Drive facility had been closed since Wednesday, when an arsonist threw a stone into a window, then splashed gasoline inside and ignited it. The small fire was doused by the building’s sprinkler system.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and for the resiliency and dedication of our committed staff and health care providers,” Jenna Tosh, chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties, said in a statement Monday.
No arrests have been made in connection with the fire. Authorities have sent a large stone and samples of the accelerant to a laboratory for testing, said Capt. John Reilly of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators have reviewed surveillance video footage showing the arsonist, whose face was concealed with an item of clothing.
“We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure these criminals will be held accountable for this act of violence,” Tosh said.
This is the second attack on the facility since August, when someone threw a rock at a window, cracking it, Reilly said. No suspects were identified in that incident.
Planned Parenthood has been the subject of heated national debate after a secretly recorded video emerged this summer, showing executives talking about the donation of fetal tissue from abortions for research. Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, has denied any wrongdoing by the organization.
In a statement issued after the fire, Planned Parenthood condemned the attack.
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