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A man has been arrested on suspicion of starting a Thousand Oaks Planned Parenthood on fire last September. Alvaro Perez, 24, of Oxnard, was arrested on suspicion of arson, according to KTLA. Though the fire occurred in the midst of controversy regarding federal funding of Planned Parenthood, authorities do not believe Perez was politically motivated. At the time of his arrest for the alleged arson, he was already in custody for unrelated charges, including domestic abuse, violating a restraining order, battery, possession of a firearm and vandalism. Police believe the alleged arson was related to a feud Perez had with his ex-girlfriend, who worked at the office, ABC reports.
The arson occurred on September 30, 2015, shortly before midnight at the Planned Parenthood at 1200 Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks. Authorities discovered a broken window, and that someone had set a small fire in the lobby that triggered the building's sprinkler systems. Damage to the office was caused by both the fire and the sprinklers. Police believe the arsonist used a rock to break the window, then doused the lobby with gasoline before setting it ablaze.
The fire happened about a month before a gunman attacked a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, killing three people, including one police officer.
