Police: Michigan man who threw lit fire starter log onto Planned Parenthood roof faces arson charge

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – A Paw Paw, Michigan man has been charged with setting a Planned Parenthood in Kalamazoo on fire.

Joshua Brereton, 25, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the arson charge.

Police responded to reports of the fire on Sunday (July 31) around 4 p.m. They investigated and found video surveillance that showed a man, now identified as Brereton, using fuel to ignite the exterior bushes of the building.

Police said he lit a fireplace starter log and then threw the burning log into the roof of the building. They said his actions started two separate fires and he fled the scene once they started.

An hour before the fire started he purchased a citronella torch fuel, a Duraflame starter log, and a utility lighter from a Walmart in Paw Paw, according to police.

He is also accused of posting a video to his YouTube channel that discussed abortion and abortion policy, referring to abortion as “genocide.”

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS).

Previous reports:

• $5,000 reward offered in Kalamazoo Planned Parenthood Arson, police say
• Arson suspected after fire at Planned Parenthood building in Kalamazoo