Planned Parenthood building set on fire after man calls abortion ‘genocide,’ feds say

Before a Michigan man set a Planned Parenthood building on fire, authorities say he posted a video describing abortion as genocide.

“Right now, we have a genocide happening. Genocide! Of babies! And people think this is always a hot topic. You literally have neighbors who think it’s okay to kill a baby,” Joshua Brereton said in a video shared to YouTube on July 3. “And I won’t get too much into it other than read a science book. It’s not a religious debate. It’s not a political debate.”

The “relevant” video asked viewers to “step out of your comfort zone. Lend a hand. Change society from the inside out.”

Four weeks later, on July 31, authorities say the 25-year-old Paw Paw man drove to a Walmart to buy a Duraflame log, torch fuel and a lighter, according to court records. Video surveillance also shows he bought a black baseball cap.

Brereton then drove about 20 miles northeast to a Planned Parenthood in Kalamazoo in southwest Michigan, officials said.

He’s accused of breaching the fence, using torch fuel to light exterior bushes on fire and throwing a burning log onto the roof of the building. Officials say he started two fires at about 4 p.m. that Sunday before escaping.

A defense attorney for Brereton has not been named in federal court records as of Aug. 5. The criminal complaint, accusing Brereton of arson, was filed Aug. 4.

First responders extinguished the fire before it could get into the building, records state, though Planned Parenthood was unable to open on Aug. 1. Water and smoke made it inside.

Surveillance video from Planned Parenthood shows a man, later identified as Brereton, in what is believed to be the same black hat bought at Walmart, officials said. He was also wearing a mask and camouflage jacket while carrying what is believed to be the torch fuel.

Federal authorities released photos of the man, and on Aug. 3, an anonymous tipster identified him as Brereton.

Investigators got a search warrant for his home — where he lives with his wife and children — before finding the same camouflage jacket in a child’s crib, according to the criminal complaint. They also found the black hat and multiple guns.

If Brereton is convicted of the arson charge, officials say he faces anywhere from five to 20 years in prison.

This story was originally published August 5, 2022 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Planned Parenthood building set on fire after man calls abortion ‘genocide,’ feds say."