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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."
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Palm Springs fertility center vows to rebuild after bombing, will see patients at new site next week
Less than one week after a bombing destroyed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, its staff is vowing to rebuild, and rebuild better. During Thursday's news conference hosted just outside the area that was attacked by 25-year-old Guy Bartkus, who died in the explosion, Dr. Maheer Abdallah emotionally announced that his work for American Reproduction Centers will not be deterred. "We will rebuild," he said. "And I promise it will be on the same site and it will be better than before." On Saturday, an improvised vehicle-borne explosive device was used to bomb the American Reproduction Centers, which also damaged other businesses in the process, according to the FBI. The bombing took place just before 11 a.m. local time on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive. Palm Springs, CA - May 22: A view of the destruction from a bomb blast last Saturday at the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) in Palm Springs. ARC leadership gave a press conference in response to the tragic explosion that occurred outside the Palm Springs facility last Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) No other deaths were reported besides that of the suspect, Bartkus. As many as four others were treated for minor injuries, according to authorities. No one was inside the IVF clinic at the time of the explosion, although Amer Abdallah, a cousin and business partner of Dr. Maheer Abdallah, said the doctor decided last minute to move a Saturday meeting from his office to another location. "That very blast site was where he was sitting," Amer tearfully said, adding that it's common for staff to come in on weekends to check on embryos. Rebuilding better than before Dr. Maheer Abdallah said the clinic needs to be demolished, but construction on a new building will commence shortly. In the meantime, Abdallah and his staff remain committed to helping families with IVF treatments in Palm Springs. Beginning Tuesday, May 27, American Reproductive Centers will see patients across the street from the previous office at the El Mirador building. Abdallah thanked Desert Regional Medical Center for providing a space for his team. According to Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto, the center was touring Abdallah spaces to host his reproductive treatment services just hours after the bombing. "The decision to stay and to continue to work so immediately is an act of courage," Soto said on Thursday. PALM SPRINGS, CA - MAY 18, 2025: Windows and doors are blown out at Palm Springs Liquor after Saturday's explosion at a fertility clinic next door on May 18, 2025 in Palm Springs, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Gina Ferazzi Other businesses, like a nearby liquor store and Denny's restaurant, sustained damage in the blast. Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte said the total estimated cost of damages is still being determined, although he's working on bringing "every available resource" to the community. The mayor said owners of damaged properties, like Abdallah, will receive expedited building permits and financial assistance in the rebuild. An online fundraiser organized by local business owners is seeking to help out the affected businesses. It can be found here. 'We will indeed be all right' Mayor deHarte detailed the pivotal role first responders played in saving and preserving embryos. "The swift courage and response from our fire, police and emergency crews was nothing short of miraculous," deHarte said. "Their virtual instantaneous arrival from the moment of the blast filled our community with an overwhelming sense of reassurance, reminding us that we will indeed be all right." Palm Springs, CA - May 22: American Reproductive Centers (ARC) Founder & Medical Director Maher Abdallah wipes his eye as he listens to Amer Abdallah, a partner, speak during a press conference hosted by ARC leadership in response to the tragic explosion that occurred outside the Palm Springs facility last Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) All embryos inside the clinic were deemed to be safe after crews ran inside the compromised structure of American Reproductive Centers to save them. "I'm thankful that my staff, the patients and all the embryos are safe," Abdallah said. Who is Guy Bartkus? The suspect in the bombing was identified over the weekend as 25-year-old Guy Bartkus of Thousand Palms, about an hour's drive from Palm Springs. Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said during a news conference Sunday that it's believed Bartkus had "nihilistic ideations." Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Bartkus expressed ideas in line with nihilism in recordings and writings, stating that he was against bringing people into the world against their own will. Davis said his body was found near the 2010 Ford Fusion sedan that was used in the bombing. Bartkus was not on the FBI's radar before Saturday's attack, Davis admitted Sunday. During Thursday's news conference, Abdallah said he forgives Bartkus for the attack and wished that in the future, his staff would not speak poorly of him. On Thursday, Amer Abdallah revealed that his cousin, Dr. Maheer Abdallah, even offered to pay for Bartkus' funeral services.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Photos show aftermath of Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing
Three days after an explosion believed to be intended for a fertility clinic rocked the city of Palm Springs, California, the smell of smoke still filled the air. Portions of the blast zone around the American Reproductive Centers are fenced off but Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills allowed CBS News to get a look at the damage. Chief Mills — who was among the first to respond to the scene on North Indian Canyon Drive that Saturday morning — said the suspected bomber backed his Ford Fusion into a parking spot and that now has a crater created by the powerful explosion. The suspect's vehicle seen in the aftermath of the Palm Springs fertility clinic explosion. CBS News Part of the vehicle's engine still sits in the middle of that lot on the east side of the IVF clinic, which houses its offices, and shrapnels are buried in the stucco walls of surrounding buildings. The suspect, 25-year-old Guy Bartkus was killed in the explosion, the FBI confirmed following DNA testing, and four other people were injured in the explosion. None of the victims is believed to be staff members of the clinic, city officials said. Investigators say the blast pattern shows that the device was far more damaging than a low-grade explosive such as fireworks. The bomb used was identified as a large, "vehicle-borne improvised explosive device," according to two sources familiar with the investigation. Its blast could be felt more than a mile away from the blast zone, the FBI said. Damages left behind following the Palm Springs fertility clinic explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025. CBS News With a massive blast radius, there were more than 150 members of law enforcement at the height of the investigation sifting for evidence, Chief Mills said. FBI teams used drones, 3D scanners and bomb-sniffing dogs to map out fragments and trace the chemicals that may have been used for the car bomb. Thanks to tips from the public and surveillance videos, authorities told CBS News they are piecing together what happened between the suspect's arrival in Palm Springs at 6 a.m. local time Saturday and the time the bomb went off at 11 a.m. Bartkus was a resident of Twentynine Palms, home to a large Marine Corps base about an hour's drive from Palm Springs, the FBI said. He stated in writings or recordings that he was against bringing people into the world against their will, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. The damage left behind following an explosion at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs. CBS News Detectives believe Bartkus acted alone at the site but said they're scouring his online chats to learn whether anyone helped him buy parts or refine the design of the bomb. "I'm going to stand firm on ... if you see it and you didn't say something, then you're as morally responsible for what took place as the person who pulled the trigger," Mills said. The IVF clinic is still too unstable for employees to enter, authorities said. Once all the evidence is collected, the building may have to be demolished. Part of the IVF clinic destroyed by the explosion is still too unstable for employees to enter, authorities said. CBS News
New York Post
20-05-2025
- New York Post
IVF bomber stockpiled deadly explosives
Authorities found huge quantities of highly explosive materials in the house of alleged IVF clinic bomber Guy Bartkus, including what appears to be PETN – a devastating compound used in terror attacks around the world. Bomb crews found multiple precursor chemicals in the home of the 'pro-mortalist' madman, who allegedly used a car bomb to blow up an IVF clinic in Palm Springs, Calif., on May 17, killing himself and wounding four others, law enforcement sources said.
New York Post
20-05-2025
- New York Post
Feds find trove of explosive materials, including devastating PETN, at IVF clinic bomber's house: ‘Full-blown bomb lab'
Authorities found huge quantities of highly explosive materials in the house of alleged IVF clinic bomber Guy Bartkus, including what appears to be PETN – a devastating compound used in terror attacks around the world. Bomb crews found multiple precursor chemicals in the home of the 'pro-mortalist' madman, who allegedly used a car bomb to blow up an IVF clinic in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday, killing himself and wounding four others, law enforcement sources said. Batkus' neighbor in the town of Twentynine Palms – an hour drive from Palm Springs – said FBI agents evacuated the neighborhood and warned him of what he described as a 'full-blown bomb lab' just a stone's throw from his house. 'Five FBI agents came knocking on my door…They told me, 'The house behind you has suspected bomb-making materials,' the neighbor, Thomas Bickel, told The Post. 'I talked about it with agents. There was a full-blown bomb lab in this guy's house.' 5 The damaged front of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic stands following a bomb blast on May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, California. Getty Images 5 Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of 29 Palms, California, poses in an undated driver's license photograph released by the FBI. via REUTERS 5 A bomb squad near Guy Bartkus' house in Twentynine Palms. KABC 'I know how powerful and destructive IEDs can be,' added Bickel, who said he was an Army veteran injured by bomb shrapnel while serving in Afghanistan. 'Sitting here with my kids, knowing that this guy was 50 feet away — a bomb of that magnitude could have destroyed our house. Just knowing that he was working on that right here while I was hanging out with my kids — it was pretty insane,' Bickel said. PETN, which stands for pentaerythritol tetranitrate, is an extremely dangerous compound similar to nitroglycerin. It had been used in terror attacks and attempted attacks throughout the world, including the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, the attempted 'shoe bombing' by Richard Colvin Reid in 2001, and the 2009 Christmas Day bomb plot by the al-Qaeda terror group. Saturday's car bomb blast destroyed at least one building of American Reproductive Centers in Palm Springs and severely damaged two others. It shattered windows on buildings three blocks away, and its reverberations could be felt in the next town seven miles away, one local told The Post. The explosion reduced Bartkus himself to human confetti. Authorities believe bizarre, pro-death ideology may have inspired the attack. The bomber allegedly uploaded a chilling, foul-mouthed, 30-minute rant in which he tried to justify detonating a car bomb outside the American Reproductive Centers on Saturday, law enforcement sources told The Post. 'I'm angry I exist,' the avowed vegan said in the recording, before claiming he did not give his parents permission for him to be born. 5 A firefighter inside a ruined building of American Reproductive Clinics. / MEGA 5 Debris is seen outside a damaged American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic after the bomb blast. AFP via Getty Images He took specific aim at IVF, calling it 'extremely wrong.' 'Basically, I'm anti-life. And IVF is like kind of the epitome of pro-life ideology,' he said. Fortunately, the clinic's stored embryos and sensitive medical records survived the attack – thanks partly to a firefighter and FBI agent who rushed into the partially collapsed building to extract the records and make sure the cooling system for the embryos was still online. 'They go into a building that was collapsed … It wasn't safe, but they went inside,' Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills told The Post. 'It's because of them expecting mothers didn't lose their dream of starting a family,' he added.
