New Mexico Planned Parenthood Abortion Centers Target of Christmas Vandalism

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 26, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New Mexico Planned Parenthood Abortion Centers Target of Christmas Vandalism Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 26
, 2007

Albuquerque, NM (LifeNews.com) — Two Planned Parenthood abortion centers in New Mexico were the subject of two separate acts of vandalism on Christmas Day just over a week after state officials indicated a fire at a third abortion center in this city was an arson attempt. Firefighters were called to the two abortion centers but, as with the third blaze, were able to put it out within minutes.

According to local authorities, some sort of incendiary device had been thrown on the roof of the Planned Parenthood building at 701 San Mateo Blvd N.E., causing the fire.

Earlier on the morning of Christmas Day, officials responded to an earlier call at another Planned Parenthood facility, located at 3625 Central Ave. N.E., where they responded to reports that its windows were broken.

Damage at both buildings was minimal, but Martha Edmands, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of New Mexico, said abortion centers across the nation should be placed on alert.

Edmands said that alarm systems, motion detectors and alarms helped the Planned Parenthood centers escape further damage.

"That someone is going around setting fires to abortion providers is very distressing," she said.

As LifeNews.com earlier reported, New Mexico officials ruled a mid-December blaze at the Abortion Acceptance Of New Mexico center was an arson. There, firefighters managed to douse the fire quickly enough to salvage the building.
Jake Gonzales, of the Albuquerque office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told the Albuquerque Tribune that no one was injured in the blaze and that the fire damaged an exam room.

Officials say people at a nearby hotel noticed two suspects wearing hooded jackets or sweaters outside the Abortion Acceptance of Albuquerque facility late in the evening before the fire.

Gonzales said the witnesses heard a loud boom that may have come from gasoline fumes after the suspects dumped a small container of gasoline in the room.

The newspaper reported that samples from the fire have been sent to BATF laboratories that could help in the case. However, officials are asking anyone with additional information to contact authorities.

That abortion business is run by Curtis Boyd, who has done abortions in New Mexico since 1972 and was involved in establishing the National Abortion Federation, a national trade group for abortion businesses.
Boyd’s wife, Glenna Halvorson-Boyd has served on NAF’s Board of directors and as the organization’s president for two years during the mid-1980s.

The abortion center does both surgical abortions and distributes the dangerous abortion drug RU 486 (mifepristone) that has killed thirteen women worldwide and injured more than 1,100 in the United States alone.

Women pay anywhere from $425 to $1,895 for an abortion depending on how far along the baby is in the pregnancy.

Abortion practitioner Bruce Ferguson runs an abortion center in the same office building as Boyd.

Despite the fact that no one from the pro-life community has been implicated in the fire, Planned Parenthood’s national president is blaming pro-life advocates for causing it.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards has made up her mind that pro-life advocates are at fault.

"The devastating fire … should serve as a powerful reminder of the violent and intimidating tactics that extremists use to obstruct women’s access to health care," she said in a press statement LifeNews.com obtained.

"Planned Parenthood denounces this senseless attack. We call on everyone who cares about women’s health to join us in condemning these acts of violence," Richards added.