Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, a 29-year-old individual of Indian origin, has entered a guilty plea for the firebombing incident that targeted the office of a prominent anti-abortion group in the US state of Wisconsin on Mother's Day, transpiring on May 8 of the previous year. The US Justice Department disclosed that Roychowdhury, apprehended at Boston’s International Airport in March, admitted guilt for attempting to cause damage using fire or an explosive on December 1, as per the department's release on Friday.
Formerly serving as a research assistant during his doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Roychowdhury earned his degree in May 2022, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's earlier report. Law enforcement responded to an active fire at a Madison office building on May 8 last year, discovering a burnt mason jar with a lid and screw top, a disposable lighter, another mason jar with a lid, and a singed cloth.
The jar contained a clear fluid with an accelerant-like odor, the release noted. Graffiti on the building's walls included messages such as "If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either" and an "A" enclosed in a circle with the number "1312." Prosecutors allege that Roychowdhury aimed to "terrorize" and "intimidate" by vandalizing and setting fire to the offices of Wisconsin Family Action.
During the investigation, DNA collected from the scene matched Roychowdhury's, leading to his identification as a suspect in March 2023. DNA samples from discarded food confirmed the match, resulting in his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport in March. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for February 14, 2024, according to the release.
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