New charges filed in Planned Parenthood arson

A federal grand jury added new charges against a Columbia man accused of starting a fire at the Planned Parenthood on Providence Road.

On Wednesday, the grand jury indicted 42-year-old Wesley Kaster with using explosive material to maliciously damage federal property and with malicious use of explosive materials.

The new charges carry minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

Surveillance video from both the clinic and neighboring business showed Kaster on Feb. 10 parking a van near the door of the clinic. It then showed him carrying a bucket to the clinic’s outer door, breaking the front door, putting the bucket inside the building and throwing what resembles a Molotov cocktail inside, according to a federal affidavit.

The court ordered Kaster to be detained until his trial. According to the court order, the evidence against Kaster is strong, and he has a history of alcohol and substance abuse as well as an unstable employment history.

Kaster was employed at a Jefferson City light manufacturing facility as a supervisor at the time of the incident.

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