Arrest in Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing investigation made at New York's JFK airport

A man was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City overnight related to the investigation into last month's bombing outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, officials told CBS News.

Wednesday, June 4th 2025, 11:03 am

By: CBS News


A man was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City overnight related to the investigation into last month's bombing outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, officials told CBS News.

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A law enforcement official identified the man to CBS News as Daniel Park, 32, of Kent, Washington. Park is scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday afternoon. He is expected to be prosecuted in Los Angeles.

The man may have provided material support for the bombing, but it isn't clear if he knew about the bombing, a U.S. official familiar with the investigation told CBS News. 

The bomber, identified by officials as 25-year-old Guy Bartkus, died in the blast. Four other people were injured in the explosion.

Police in Palm Springs said the bomber backed his Ford Fusion into a parking spot outside the clinic before the powerful explosion left a crater on the morning of May 17. The explosion could be felt more than a mile away from the blast zone, the FBI said.

The vehicle exploded outside American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic with a full-service IVF lab that dd not perform abortions. The blast caused significant damage to the building. The facility also lost power, but it was restored in time so no embryos were lost in the attack. The clinic reopened about two weeks later at a new location.

The FBI believed that the bombing was premeditated and called the attack an "intentional act of terrorism."

Detectives said they believed Bartkus acted alone at the site of the attack, but said they were scouring his online chats to learn whether anyone helped him buy parts or refine the design of the bomb.

Investigators said the blast pattern shows that the device was far more damaging than a low-grade explosive such as fireworks.

The FBI said Bartkus had access to a large quantity of commercially available chemical products that could be combined to create a homemade explosive device.

The FBI and other law enforcement personnel gather evidence a day after a bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, May 18, 2025.

The FBI and other law enforcement personnel gather evidence a day after a bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, May 18, 2025.Reuters/David Swanson

Bartkus was a resident of Twentynine Palms, California, home to a large Marine Corps base about an hour's drive from Palm Springs. He stated in writings or recordings that he was against bringing people into the world against their will, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.

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