GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) - A Paw Paw man has pleaded guilty to one count of arson after he set fire to a Planned Parenthood facility in Southwest Michigan three months ago, a prosecutor said.
Joshua Brereton, 25, of Paw Paw faces five to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the crime after entering his guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said on Wednesday via WILX.
Brereton admitted that he went to a Paw Paw Walmart on July 31 and bought a starter log for a fireplace, a black hat and fuel before heading to a Planned Parenthood in Kalamazoo. He lit fires around 4:10 p.m. near the front entrance and a corner of the building before igniting the Duralog and tossing it up on to the roof.
Firefighters responding to the fire at the clinic on West Michigan Avenue near S. Drake Road were able to put out the flames in about 10 minutes, but the blaze caused damaged to the outside of the building, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said in an earlier press release.
The clinic was closed at the time of the fire and no one was injured.
Brereton was outspoken against the services offered at the facility, admitting to authorities that he described abortion as genocide in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
“This fire was a senseless act of political violence,” Totten said. “In our democracy, resorting to violence is never an acceptable means to address policy disputes. Moreover, Brereton’s actions could have injured innocent citizens and first responders.”
According to Totten, Brereton will be ordered to pay a restitution for the fires and faces a fine of $250,000.
Brereton's plea agreement estimates the restitution payment will come to at least $20,000 or possibly more.
He is due back in court on Feb. 6, 2023 for sentencing, officials said.