Latest news with #AmericanReproductiveCenters
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Palm Springs fertility clinics resumes seeing patients after bombing
The American Reproductive Centers in Palm Springs, which was the center of an alleged attack last week, reopened at a temporary location on Tuesday. Less than two weeks after a car bomb destroyed its original building, the full-service IVF lab moved its facilities to the El Mirador Medical Plaza just across the street on Indian Canyon Drive. Now, Dr. Maheer Abdallah and his staff will resume seeing patients looking to build their families and start their reproductive journeys. On the morning of May 17, a 25-year-old who the FBI says has "nihilistic ideations" allegedly bombed the center, destroying it and damaging several other businesses in the process. The suspect, Thousand Palms resident Guy Bartkus, died in the explosion. Bartkus used commercially available chemical products to create the blast, the FBI says. PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 17: The damaged front of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic stands following a bomb blast on May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, California. A suspected bomber is believed to have post a manifesto to social media before the explosion. One person was confirmed dead at the scene, according to police. David McNew / Getty Images First responders managed to save the embryos located inside the clinic in a fast-acting recovery mission. A tearful Abdallah last week thanked firefighters during a news conference, who he says acted swiftly to preserve the future of many families that day. "I'm thankful that my staff, the patients and all the embryos are safe," Abdallah said. Abdallah vowed that the attack wouldn't deter him from his mission of helping families achieve healthy pregnancies. While the original building is demolished and rebuilt – a process which could take a lengthy amount of time – they'll work out of the El Mirador building and continue to see patients. "We will rebuild," he said. "And I promise it will be on the same site and it will be better than before."
Sky News
24-05-2025
- Sky News
FBI names suspect in California fertility clinic bombing as Guy Edward Bartkus
The FBI has named the suspect in the car bombing of a fertility clinic in California as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus. One person was killed and four hurt in Saturday's blast in Palm Springs, which the FBI said was an "intentional act of terrorism". The bureau said Bartkus held "nihilistic" views, while the US attorney in Los Angeles said his writings were "anti pro-life". On Saturday evening, Akil Davies, head of the FBI's Los Angeles branch, said authorities were still working to confirm the identity of the person who died at the scene. While he did not directly say whether that person was the suspect, he said authorities were not searching for anyone. The city's mayor, Ron DeHarte, said the bomb was "either in or near" a vehicle - with the FBI later identifying the car a silver Ford Fusion. Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, said the facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for. The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added. "I really have no clue what happened," he said. "Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients." On Facebook, the clinic said it was "heartbroken" to learn someone died in the explosion and added: "Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected." It continued: "Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is. "In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope - because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care." The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added. "This moment has shaken us - but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world," the statement concluded. The Palm Springs city government said on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT). The burned-out car can be seen in a car park behind the building in aerial footage of the scene. The blast caved in the clinic's roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road. Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion. Nima Tabrizi said: "The building just shook, and we go outside and there's massive cloud smoke." Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have travelled to the scene to help assess what happened. A White House official also told Sky's US partner network NBC News that US President Donald Trump was monitoring the situation.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- CBS News
Palm Springs bombing suspect had access to chemicals to make explosives, FBI says
As the investigation into the bombing of a Palm Springs fertility clinic continues, the FBI revealed that the suspect had access to a large amount of chemicals that could be used to make a homemade explosive. Agents identified Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, as the person suspected of detonating the car bomb in front of American Reproductive Centers on May 17. The FBI described the attack as an "intentional act of terrorism," which is now the largest bombing in Southern California history. The explosion nearly destroyed the IVF clinic, damaged surrounding buildings and wounded four people. Agents found human remains in the debris field. DNA testing confirmed it was the 25-year-old suspect. Investigators also recovered a weapon, ammunition, a tripod and a cell phone near remnants of Barkus' 2010 Ford Fusion. Agents believe he tried to livestream the bombing but haven't found evidence it ever aired. "The subject had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack," Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said on May 17. "We believe he was attempting to livestream it and yes, that is also part of our investigation." The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force said the suspect posted and recorded "anti-natalist beliefs," where he found it morally wrong or unjustifiable to have children. While the explosion forced the American Reproductive Centers to close its Palm Springs location, authorities managed to save all of the embryos at the IVF lab. A few days after the bombing, the clinic's director Dr. Maheer Abdallah vowed to rebuild the facility and promised that "it will be better than before." In the meantime, his team will continue their reproductive work at the Desert Regional Medical Center. During a news conference on Thursday, Abdallah said he forgives Bartkus for the attack and wishes his staff would not speak poorly of him in the future. On Thursday, Amer Abdallah revealed that his cousin, Dr. Maheer Abdallah, even offered to pay for Bartkus' funeral services.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Palm Springs clinic bomber had access to large quantity of chemical products, FBI says
The man who authorities believe detonated a powerful explosive device outside a Palm Springs fertility clinic had "access to a large quantity of commercially available chemical products which could be combined to create a home-made explosive device,' the FBI revealed Thursday. The agency said it was still investigating the case and did not provide further details. "Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the FBI is unable to disclose specific case details regarding the makeup of the explosive device," the FBI said. On Saturday morning, a bomb was detonated at American Reproductive Centers in Palm Springs, destroying much of the building, injuring four people and killing the suspected bomber. Guy Edward Bartkus is the sole suspect in the bombing, which the FBI has labeled as domestic terrorism. Read more: Palm Springs bombing investigation turns to the explosives: How were they sourced and built? DNA tests of body parts found at the scene show Bartkus, 25, was killed in the blast. The FBI described the Palm Springs blast — powerful enough to damage buildings several blocks away — as 'probably the largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California,' eclipsing the 2018 bombing of a day spa in Aliso Viejo. Law enforcement sources told The Times that the bomber used a very large amount of explosives — so much that the bomb shredded his remains. The sources said authorities recovered explosive materials from Bartkus' home and that he was skilled in assembling explosive devices and was a longtime rocket builder. The clinic posted a photo of the blast's aftermath that showed the building's roof caved in, debris flowing into the streets and smoke billowing from inside. Officials have not yet determined a motive in the bombing. But a website that contained no name but appeared connected to the bombing laid out the case for 'a war against pro-lifers' and said a fertilization clinic would be targeted. Authorities have yet to confirm if Bartkus was the author of that site. 'Here you can download the recorded stream of my suicide & bombing of an IVF clinic,' the site began, but no such file existed. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Fox News
Video captures moment of deadly explosion at California fertility clinic
A newly released video shows the moment a car bomb detonated outside the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday. The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows the palm tree-lined building hit by a sudden blast followed by a towering plume of smoke. The exterior and interior parts of the fertility clinic were heavily damaged, including windows blown out and sections of the building's front facade destroyed. The blast resulted in the death of Guy Edward Bartkus, the 25-year-old suspect, and injured four others. Authorities are treating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. Surveillance footage and online postings suggest Bartkus parked at the rear of the building, ingested drugs and then detonated an explosive device. The suspect, a resident of Twentynine Palms, reportedly held "pro-mortalism" beliefs and left behind writings expressing opposition to procreation. "Pro-mortalism," a radical offshoot of anti-natalism, views human reproduction as inherently immoral and embraces death as a moral corrective. Investigators said they believe Bartkus attempted to livestream the attack, and a tripod and camera were found at the scene. Despite significant damage to the clinic, all embryos and reproductive materials were preserved, and the facility has since resumed operations. "I received a call saying there was a massive explosion that destroyed a couple of our buildings. My biggest concern was obviously my staff and the embryos we have in storage," said Dr. Maher Abdallah, the clinic's director, after the attack. "Fortunately for us, our staff was unharmed and the IVF lab is intact, untouched, unharmed. The embryos are safe." Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday evening that she had been briefed on the explosion. "We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America," she said in a post on X. "Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable." Bomb technicians scoured the blast site over the weekend as part of the ongoing investigation, which was led by the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Officials have said this is the first high-profile case linked to the pro-mortalist ideology and are now monitoring it as a potential emerging threat. Authorities have urged families and communities to remain vigilant for signs of ideological extremism, especially among those who may feel disenfranchised. As the investigation into the bombing continues, law enforcement is probing whether anyone assisted or encouraged the suspect in constructing the device.
