Man linked to firebombing of Wisconsin anti-abortion group via leftover burrito
By Carl Samson
April 4, 2023
A half-eaten burrito led to the arrest of a man believed to be responsible for firebombing the office of an anti-abortion group in Madison, Wisconsin, authorities announced last week.
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, was charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive for the incident, which took place at Wisconsin Family Action’s headquarters last Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022.
Police responded at around 6 a.m. to a fire that broke out at the Madison-based building. Inside, they found suspicious items, including a disposable lighter and two mason jars — one broken and another containing “a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant.”
Meanwhile, the outside of the building was spray-painted with “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.” Another wall was painted with a large encircled “A” and “1312.”
Last month, police identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect and matched his DNA from a leftover burrito he had thrown in a public trash can to the crime scene.
Roychowdhury, who lives in Madison, was arrested in Boston last Tuesday. If convicted, he faces between five to 20 years in prison.
“Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement,” Robert R. Wells, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, said in a statement. “Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions.”
Wisconsin Family Action, who blamed the attack on a “leftist anarchist group,” is a nonprofit that defends “God’s plan for marriage, family, life and religious freedom.”
No one was in the office at the time of the attack.
The incident came about a week after a draft opinion suggesting that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade had leaked. The court officially made that call in June, bringing back Wisconsin’s abortion ban.
Twitter account Antifa Watch has shared social media posts allegedly made by Roychowdhury. In them, he identified himself as a graduate research assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) and made statements such as “I’m an anarchist now” and “I hope to see this country burn.”
UW-Madison’s May 2022 commencement announcement reportedly listed Roychowdhurdy as a doctoral candidate. A UW-Madison spokesperson confirmed that he received a doctorate in biochemistry but that he is no longer attached to the institution.
“The individual that you reference received a PhD in biochemistry from UW-Madison in May 2022. He is no longer affiliated with the university,” the spokesperson told Fox News.
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