The FBI has arrested a Washington state man in connection with last month’s deadly explosion at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, according to three law enforcement officials. Daniel Park, 32, of Kent, Washington, was taken into custody Tuesday evening at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Federal prosecutors are expected to provide further details at a news conference in Los Angeles.
The bombing, which occurred on May 17, devastated the American Reproductive Centers clinic, shattering windows in nearby buildings along a palm-lined street. Witnesses described a deafening blast followed by chaos, with terrified screams and debris littering the sidewalk. A senior FBI official called it potentially the "largest bombing scene" in Southern California in recent memory.
The primary suspect, Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, died in the explosion. Authorities say Bartkus held nihilistic and anti-natalist beliefs—opposing human reproduction—and intentionally targeted the clinic, which provides fertility services. Investigators found writings suggesting his ideological motives but have not confirmed whether he intended to die in the attack.
Park, who was extradited from Poland after fleeing days after the bombing, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday and agreed to be transferred to California. Authorities allege he supplied Bartkus with 270 pounds of ammonium nitrate—a chemical compound used in explosives—and participated in bomb-making experiments in the months leading up to the attack.
According to FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis, Park had been stockpiling ammonium nitrate since 2022 and shipped the final batch to Bartkus just days before the bombing. A search of Park’s home uncovered an explosive recipe resembling that used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Court documents reveal that Park and Bartkus met in online anti-natalist forums, bonding over extremist views. Park had reportedly posted in such forums for nearly a decade, at one point encouraging others to join the movement. In March, he sought to organize in-person anti-natalist events in Washington state but received no public response.
Park faces charges of providing material support to a terrorist. Authorities continue to investigate whether others were involved in the attack, which is being treated as an act of domestic terrorism.