Wisconsin man arrested, charged for 2022 firebombing of anti-abortion office

MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – A man from southcentral Wisconsin was arrested in Boston on Tuesday on a charge related to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison anti-abortion office.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury is charged with one count of ‘attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.’

Roychowdhury, a 29-year-old man from Madison, was arrested on the morning of March 28 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The incident, which happened on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022, at the Wisconsin Family Action executive office located in Madison, began when both Madison Police and Fire Departments responded to the building for reports of a fire.

According to the complaint, once inside the building, officers spotted a broken mason jar under a shattered window, the lid and screw top was burned black. Officers also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar.

Authorities say that on the wall opposite the window, another mason jar with the lid on and a blue burned cloth tucked into the top was found. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that “smelled like an accelerant.”

The release states that graffiti was found on the outside of the building near a broken window that stated, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.” Additional graffiti included the anarchist ‘A’ and the number ‘1312.’

Threatening graffiti which reads “A 1312” is seen on the exterior of Wisconsin Family Action offices in Madison, Wis., on Sunday, May 8, 2022. The Madison headquarters of the anti-abortion group was vandalized late Saturday or early Sunday, according to an official with the group. (Alex Shur/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
Damage is seen in the interior of Madison’s Wisconsin Family Action headquarters in Madison, Wis., on Sunday, May 8, 2022. The Madison headquarters of the anti-abortion group was vandalized late Saturday or early Sunday, according to an official with the group. (Alex Shur/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack. In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect through DNA evidence.

Roychowdhury was seen throwing away food in a public trash can, which was then recovered by officers, ultimately leading authorities to collect DNA from the food.

On March 17, law enforcement had a forensic biologist examine the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compare it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual, the release states.

Back in January, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for any relevant information that would lead to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect responsible. No specific information in the release noted whether or not a tip from an outside source led to the arrest of Roychowdhury.

After traveling from Madison to Portland, Maine, Roychowdhury reportedly purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City. Authorities say that the flight to Guatemala City was scheduled to depart on Tuesday morning.

Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport.

According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization. I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, Justice Department’s National Security Division

Roychowdhury is scheduled to have a detention hearing in Boston and is planned to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on March 28. A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set.

If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.