KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Columbia, Missouri, man was charged in connection with an arson at Columbia Health Center, a facility operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains.
Wesley B. Kaster, 42, was charged in federal court Monday with one count of maliciously damaging a building, owned by an organization that receives federal financial assistance, by means of fire or an explosive.
According to court documents, surveillance video from Planned Parenthood and neighboring businesses showed Kaster arriving at the center around 2:30 a.m on Feb. 10. He carried a white bucket to the door, which he broke, and placed it inside the building. He then threw a Molotov cocktail-type device inside the building.
He then stood on the sidewalk watching, according to the affidavit. The video showed no flames. Kaster went through the broken door before two pedestrians approached him and he fled the scene.
There were still no flames shown on video at that point.
Kaster returned to the scene around 4 a.m. He walked back inside with “an undiscernable item in his left hand,” the affidavit said. A few minutes later, smoke billowed from the broken glass door.
Kaster again fled the scene.
The fire was put out by sprinklers before firefighters arrived.
Among evidence collected were vehicle registration records, Lowe’s receipts, gloves found at the scene, and a post on Kaster’s wife’s Facebook page that showed a picture of a handgun and read “Guns Don’t Kill People, Planned Parenthood Kills People.”
Investigators also searched Kaster’s van and residence, where they found multiple items that tied him to the crime scene, according to the affidavit.
Kaster was arrested Saturday and remains in federal custody.
Firefighters said the Planned Parenthood building sustained only moderate damage in the fire.
