Man arrested for allegedly trying to light Bellevue Planned Parenthood on fire

A 36-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to set a Bellevue Planned Parenthood on fire based on his own personal beliefs.

Bellevue firefighters were called in around 12:40 a.m. Friday after a fire alarm went off in the building in the 14700 block of NE 8th St., according to a news release from the Bellevue Police Department (BPD).

Police officers were then requested after firefighters determined the facility had been vandalized. A suspect was found loitering nearby.

Man tells police he threw ignited piece of paper into Bellevue Planned Parenthood

The man told police he used a rock to vandalize the front of the building and then tossed an ignited piece of paper through the broken glass, causing minor damage to the facility. BPD noted the man is unhoused and currently resides in Seattle.

“We arrived, and we immediately detained him, and after questioning the suspect, we quickly discovered that this individual told us that he tossed a rock into the building and then attempted to light the building on fire,” Drew Anderson, public information officer for BPD, told KIRO Newsradio.

Officers put the man under arrest for arson in the second degree. He was booked into the King County Jail.

Suspect planned attack over several days, police say

Anderson also shared that the man thought through his plan over the last couple of days.

“Based on interviews with the suspect, he told us that he definitely made plans to commit this crime over the last couple of days, and that it was definitely his intent to commit this crime based on his own personal ideology,” he said.

When asked if the suspect’s beliefs were pro-life or anti-abortion, Anderson responded, “Let’s just say that he made it very clear that his own personal beliefs were the reason why he wanted to commit this crime.”

Police say suspect acted alone, no ongoing threat to public

Police believe the man acted alone and is not associated with any other people or organizations. They also said he wasn’t under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

“He was not under the influence,” Anderson said. “And based on our questioning of the suspect, it was pretty obvious to us as well that he wasn’t connected to any other individuals or any organizations that could have been part of, or associated with, any type of larger incident that could have occurred against facilities like Planned Parenthood.

“And that’s why we want to really be adamant in telling the public that we do not believe that there is an ongoing threat to the public,” he continued. “And that this was definitely just a random act of violence that occurred and was targeting this building.”

Although there is no ongoing threat to the public, community members are urged to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.

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