A California man has been charged with attempted arson for twice trying to torch a women’s Republican club in the Golden State, according to a report.

Carlos Espriu, 23, allegedly busted the windows at the East Valley Republican Women Federated office in La Quinta on May 31, then lit three Molotov cocktails to set the building on fire — and came back to try again when they didn’t spark a blaze, Fox News reported.

Espriu’s second attempt was caught on surveillance video which cops posted on a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $9,000 to repair the damage.

“The terrorizing goes on,” the page said. “Their headquarters have experienced increased hostility including: multiple harassing phone calls daily, eggs thrown at the windows, and drive-by shouting accompanied by obscene gestures.”

Just days before the incident, police said Espriu had posted on Twitter that, “I wanna go burn s—t n get hit with tear gas,” the outlet said.

The day after the alleged attack, the women’s club offered a $1,000 award for Espriu’s capture — but he evaded police for months.

However, local cops and the FBI Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force began getting tips and closing in on him, the Desert Sun reported.

Espriu was also caught in an audio recording telling a woman he knew that he had shaved his head after authorities circulated the surveillance video. He also described to the woman how he made the devices by filling the three bottles with gasoline and sticking a rag in the opening.

In July, cops searched his home and found a green cigarette lighter they believe was used to try to light the Molotov cocktails.

Authorities caught up with him Wednesday, and he now faces charges in both county and federal court, the outlet reported.

He is being held on a $1 million bond at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and is due in federal court Friday.

Share this article:

Source: Read Full Article