A 22-year-old Irvine man pleaded guilty to firebombing a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa and planning to attack an electrical substation in Orange, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Tibet Ergul pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ergul and his co-conspirators planned to attack the power grid in Orange County to start a race war.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also says Ergul and one other defendant admitted to plotting an attack the on the Dodger Stadium parking lot or the stadium’s electrical room during last summer’s LGBTQ Pride Night.
“What we saw here was a very dangerous group motivated by hate,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “We had individuals who were very violent, very dangerous. They actually firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic.
“When we did the investigation and dug in deeper into these individuals, we saw they were planning an attack on the power grid to start a race war, we saw they were planning an attack at Dodger Stadium on Pride Night.”