Chillicothe man charged in fire at Planned Parenthood clinic: It was 'all worth it'

PEORIA — A Chillicothe man faces up to 40 years in federal prison after being charged Wednesday in connection with the Planned Parenthood fire this month in Peoria.

Tyler W. Massengill, 32, told officials investigating the case that if his "actions the night of January 15, 2023, caused 'a little delay' in a person receiving services at the PHC, his conduct may have been 'all worth it,'" according to federal court records filed Wednesday.

Massengill appeared by way of video conferencing in the courtroom of U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long. He's being held in the Peoria County Jail and is charged with malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Planned Parenthood building on Jan. 15.

Massengill indicated he would try to hire his own attorney. He was ordered held by Long pending a Feb. 1 detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley in Peoria. In addition to the local federal prosecutors, an attorney from the U.S. Attorney General's Civil Rights Division from Washington, D.C., was also on the video call.

“We are pleased an arrest has been made in the firebombing of the Peoria Planned Parenthood Health Center on January 15," Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO Jennifer Welch said in a release. "The damage to the health center is extensive and we are estimating it costing over $1 (million) to rebuild. The repairs will take numerous months before we can reopen stronger than ever."

Details of the fire

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Peoria, a review of area surveillance from the fire scene revealed that at approximately 11:20 p.m., an older white pickup truck with red doors parked in an area adjacent to Planned Parenthood, located in the 2700 block of North Knoxville Avenue.

Video footage depicts a man walking up to the building with a laundry detergent-sized bottle. The man lit a rag on fire on one end of the bottle, smashed a window with an object, then placed the container inside of the Planned Parenthood building. He then quickly left the area on foot, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that law enforcement, acting on several tips, linked the truck to Massengill and ultimately recovered the truck from an individual in Sparland, where Massengill had left it with a request to paint its doors white. After Massengill’s truck was seized, Massengill met with investigators at the Peoria Police Department on Jan. 24 and was taken into custody.

How the police found the suspect

A break in the case occurred, according to a federal complaint that was filed Wednesday afternoon, when a tipster "provided an Illinois license plate number for the suspect pickup truck. . . Peoria police conducted an inquiry of the subject plate number in a license plate reader database system which returned a photo of an older white pickup truck, with red doors."

Using the plate number, they also were able to attach Massengill's name to the case and look through old booking photos as well as social media. They found the images of Massengill from his booking photo and Facebook account bear a likeness to the individual depicted in the video footage obtained from Planned Parenthood.

When interviewed by authorities, Massengill initially denied starting the fire, adding that he allowed two others to use his truck. Later he said he was in a relationship three years ago when his girlfriend at the time decided to have an abortion and that upset him, the complaint stated.

"On or around January 15, 2023, Massengill heard or saw something that reminded him of the abortion, again upsetting him. Massengill admitted that, on January 15, 2023, he broke the window out of the PHCand placed a burning container inside of the building," the complaint said.

What comes next?

If convicted of the malicious use of fire charge, Massengill faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least five years and possibly up to 40 years behind bars. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000, the federal prosecutors said in a news release.

Firefighters were called to 2709 N. Knoxville Ave. shortly after 11:30 p.m. Jan. 15 on a report of a fire. Within minutes, the fire was extinguished. No one was inside the building at the time. While officials have released little information, the Planned Parenthood website states that "an incendiary device was hurled into the Peoria Health Center, which caused a substantial fire and damage to the building."

More:After arson at Planned Parenthood clinic, dozens attend rally in Peoria

At a rally last weekend, Kelley Theisen, a representative of Planned Parenthood, said the damage was estimated at $1 million and she believed the building would be shuttered for several months.

"This senseless act of vandalism has robbed the community of access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and gender-affirming care as well as medication abortion services," Welch said in the statement Wednesday. "We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, state, and nation as we continue to meet our patients' needs through telehealth and at our other 16 health centers across the state."

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria County man says it was 'all worth it' if he delayed abortions