Madison Man Charged With Firebombing Pro-Family Organization in Wisconsin
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the firebombing at the office of Wisconsin Family Action, a pro-life, pro-family organization headquartered in Madison.
Initial reports indicated a local anarchist group carried out the attack following the leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
On March 28, 2023, the FBI released a statement indicating an arrest had been made in the case — although the FBI failed to clearly name Wisconsin Family Action as the victim.
The FBI’s press release said,
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. . . .
on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison, Wisconsin. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect.
The FBI notes an indictment is purely an allegation, and Roychowdhury is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
In a statement last week, Wisconsin Family Council wrote,
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the firebombing of the Madison offices of Wisconsin Family Council and Wisconsin Family Action. 2 Molotov cocktails were thrown, and then because the explosives didn’t do as much damage as desired, the perpetrators started a fire in the office of Julaine Appling, president of the organizations. In addition to the attack, the leftist-anarchists left a threatening message: “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
It’s been quite a year. We were the first to be attacked after a leaked draft surfaced of the US Supreme Court’s opinion in the case that eventually overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, hundreds of pro-life organizations have been attacked. It took ten months but finally there has been an arrest in our case; we pray justice will happen for all pro-life organizations that have been vandalized.
Baby Safely Surrendered at Safe Haven Baby Box in Benton
The following is a press release from Arkansas Right to Life.
BENTON – A baby has been surrendered at one of Benton’s two Safe Haven Baby Boxes. It is the second baby surrendered in Benton and the fourth surrender in the state.
It is the second time a baby box has been used in Benton. The first baby was surrendered in May 2020 at the same Benton Fire Station.
“We are grateful that the Safe Haven Baby Box provided this mother with a safe, anonymous surrender alternative for her and her child. I applaud her bravery and the sacrificial gifts of life and adoption that she has given her son through the Safe Haven Baby Box program,” said Mimms.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are installed on the exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. Other boxes are located in Rogers, Springdale, Mountain Home, Jonesboro, Conway, Fort Smith, Maumelle, DeQueen, Nashville, Magnolia, and El Dorado.
Arkansas Right to Life has promoted the Safe Haven Law through a billboard campaign that began in Harrison in June 2019. Since then, billboards have been placed in 30 Arkansas counties.
Mimms stressed the importance of the billboard campaign and the importance of mothers knowing about the Safe Haven Law and the Safe Haven Baby Box hotline number listed on all billboards.
“The Safe Haven Law can help a mother to safely surrender her child to an official location, hospital, law enforcement or manned fire department in Arkansas or anonymously in a Safe Haven Baby Box,” she said.
The Safe Haven Law, enacted in Arkansas in 2001, is designed to protect babies from being hurt or killed from abandonment by parents who are unwilling or unable to provide parenting. Under the law, a parent may give up an infant anonymously at a hospital emergency room or law enforcement agency, but in 2019 the law was amended to include manned fire stations as a surrender location. The amended law sponsored by Arkansas Sen. Bledsoe and Rep. Rebecca Petty also approved the installation of newborn safety devices at surrender locations.
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