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Two more Florida women's clinics vandalized
May 23, 1998
Web posted at: 6:28 p.m. EDT (2228 GMT)
The St. Petersburg Women's Health Center, where one of Saturday's attacks occurred ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (CNN) -- Two more clinics where abortions are performed were attacked early Saturday, and authorities believe the vandalism may be related to recent incidents in Miami and central Florida.
Each time, vandals drilled a hole in the building and poured in what authorities believe was butyric acid. No one was harmed in the attacks, but the odor is hard to remove.
"It stinks and you just don't want to be there," said St. Petersburg Deputy Fire Marshal Terry Barber. "It's the same method we have seen in the other attacks."
Butyric acid is an odorless chemical found in rancid butter and perspiration. It can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause coughing and difficulty breathing. It can be fatal in large doses.
The attacks Saturday in St. Petersburg and Clearwater -- about 35 miles apart -- were the latest in a series that began last weekend. There were five similar attacks in the Miami area last week, and clinics in Daytona Beach, Orlando and Volusia County were vandalized last weekend.
The FBI is investigating, said Anne Figueiras, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Miami.
"This is our jurisdiction under the (U.S.) Civil Rights Act. It's a hate crime," she said, adding that the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which protects access to women's clinics, also applies to the cases.
FBI probing suspicious rental car
An FBI agent said the attacks likely were related.
"We're operating under the supposition that they are related to the previous incidents," said FBI agent Brian Kensel.
St. Petersburg police said the attack on the Women's Health Center on Fourth Street North was reported about 9 a.m. The Clearwater attack at the National Women's Health Service on Drew Street was reported about 8:30 a.m., Clearwater police said.
Several people in the Miami attacks experienced respiratory problems, and two were hospitalized.
Investigators were following up on a new lead in the Miami case: a burgundy rental car that reeked of butyric acid. Miami television station WSVN reported that police took fingerprints and an unidentified bag of objects from the car.
The report said the rental car would be transferred to the FBI in the coming week, and agents were trying to develop a composite sketch of a suspect.
Police bracing for more attacks
Fred Hobbs, a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is aiding the FBI, said law enforcement agents were preparing for more attacks.
"Law enforcement has to take the posture that we've had eight (attacks) in a few days; we've got to prepare ourselves for more," Hobbs said.
The attacks came just before planned demonstrations by the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. The organization is to stage "Operation Pushback" for eight days in the Orlando area beginning May 31.
Investigators said they had no reason to suspect that Operation Rescue or any other group was involved.
Matt Olzonieks, vice president of Florida Right to Life, said his anti-abortion organization "deplores this kind of activity.
We are praying the police find this individual quickly. It's a terrible situation."
Florida is especially sensitive to abortion-related violence. Two doctors and one clinic security escort were killed in the state in 1993 and 1994.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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