From the Archives: Abortion clinic bomb plot exposed in San Diego 35 years ago

On Nov. 5, 1987, the Rev. Dorman Owens of Bible Missionary Fellowship in Santee known for his opposition to abortion, was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to bomb a San Diego family planning clinic.

Owens and six of his followers entered guilty pleas in 1988 to federal charges in connection with the attempted bombing of the clinic at the Alvarado Medical Center. Owens served 21 months in prison in connection with the Alvarado incident.

From The Tribune, Thursday, November 5, 1987:

Pastor, followers held in bomb plot

By William Polk and John McLaren, Tribune Staff Writers

Fundamentalist pastor Dorman Owens and six of his followers were arrested today by San Diego police and federal agents and charged with plotting to bomb a College Area family planning clinic.

The arrests were made after a federal grand jury handed up a six-count indictment charging Owens and six associates at Bible Missionary Fellowship of Santee in connection with the July 27 pre-dawn attempt to bomb the clinic in Alvarado Medical Center, then situated in the 6400 block of Alvarado Road.

At a press conference today, authorities said the seven people arrested spent two months planning the bombing attempt and that “numerous” planning sessions were held at the church.

Owens, known for his demonstrations against homosexuals and abortions, was named in a separate indictment accusing him of tampering with a witness, Eric Svelmoe, the man accused of actually planting the bomb at the clinic. Svelmoe is scheduled to stand trial Dec. 7.

The indictment said that Owens visited Svelmoe in the Metropolitan Correctional Center and engaged in “misleading conduct” designed to influence the inmate.

The visits took place Monday and Tuesday, according to the indictment.

Svelmoe, a carpenter who lives in an El Cajon mobile-home park, is a member of Owens’ church.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Burns said at the news conference that Owens was present for two or three of the gatherings at the church to plan the bombing attempt.

They initially discussed three potential targets, Burns said, including one of the clinics operated by Planned Parenthood and Womancare Inc., which has a clinic in the 2600 block of Sixth Avenue, as well as the facility operated by the Alvarado Medical Center.

There was no explanation as to how or why the Alvarado Medical Center complex was finally selected as the target.

“At this point we have no reason to connect this case with any other bombing incidents,” said U.S. Attorney Peter K. Nunez.

Named in the six-count indictment, in addition to Owens, were the Rev. Kenneth Neal Felder, 39, the associate pastor of the church; Jo Ann Kreipal, 37, of the 10600 block of Keith Street, Santee; Randall Ray Sullenger, 35, and his wife, Cheryl, 32, of the 1000 block of North Mollison Avenue, El Cajon; and Christopher Harmon, 24, and his wife, Robin Lynn, 22, of the 3900 block of Conrad Drive, Spring Valley.

All seven were being held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center following their arrests today by police and members of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. They were scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before Federal Magistrate Barry Ted Moskowitz.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, the main indictment charges the defendants with unlawful possession of a destructive device, manufacturing a destructive device, two counts of interstate transportation of explosives, and the attempted bombing and arson of property.

Svelmoe, who had been under surveillance by San Diego police, was arrested July 27 after he drove up in pickup truck with its lights out and left a pipe bomb at the front door of the clinic.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agent James Stathes today described the device as 12-inch section of pipe loaded with gunpowder and other material, with the pipe attached to a 2-gallon container of gasoline.

Each of the charges specified in today’s indictments carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The indictment gave this account of events that led up to today’s arrests:

In May, Kriepal offered to introduce Svelmoe to other people who had been getting together to discuss “damaging and destroying abortion clinics.”

At one meeting in June, Randall Ray Sullenger and Christopher Harmon met with Svelmoe and discussed plans to “damage and destory abortion clinics by means of explosive devices.”

One of the meetings attended by Owens occurred at the Santee church in July and also included the Sullengers, the Harmons, Kreipal and Svelmoe.

Felder, the associate pastor at the church, met with Svelmoe and Owens at Owens’ home in the 800 block of Latisma Place in El Cajon on July 20 to discuss further plans to “damage and destroy” the Alvarado Medical Center (family planning clinic) by placing an explosive device there.”

On July 9, Christopher Harmon gave Svelmoe some literature about manufacturing explosive devices. On July 22, Cheryl Sullenger gave Svelmoe a gift-wrapped box containing gunpower to be used in the explosive device and four days later she gave him a woman’s wig for him to use as a disguise while depositing the bomb.

Svelmoe also purchased gunpowder at Frank’s Gun Shop in Yuma, Ariz., on July 25, and then set off bombs in desert west of Yuma on July 25 and in a remote area east of Jamul on July 26.

Svelmoe, who is being held without bail, has been charged with attempting to bomb and burn a public building, and with possession of explosives.