A Florida woman, Gabriella Oropesa, is heading to prison after being convicted for orchestrating a series of spray-paint attacks and making threats against pro-life pregnancy centers. The attacks were carried out in collaboration with members of an activist group known as Jane’s Revenge, which opposes anti-abortion efforts. Oropesa, a 25-year-old from Cooper City, was found guilty by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate employees of these centers, which provide support to women facing unplanned pregnancies and counsel them on alternatives to abortion.
The attacks took place between May and July 2022, when Oropesa, along with three other individuals Caleb Freestone, Amber Stewart-Smith, and Annarella Rivera targeted several pregnancy centers in Florida. The group vandalized the centers by spray-painting threatening messages on their walls, including phrases like “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere.” These acts were carried out at night, with the perpetrators wearing masks and dark clothing to conceal their identities.
The centers targeted in these attacks include Heartbeat of Miami, a nonprofit organization that provides help to women and couples dealing with unplanned pregnancies, as well as the Archdiocese of Miami’s “Respect Life” center in Hollywood, the Pregnancy Help Medical Clinics in Hialeah, and the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven. These centers are dedicated to offering alternatives to abortion and providing emotional and practical support to women facing difficult decisions.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that these attacks were not only acts of vandalism but also threats against individuals who are exercising their rights to provide and seek reproductive health services. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Roger Handberg, condemned the threats, asserting that federal law is in place to protect both providers and those seeking their services from intimidation and violence. He stressed that such threats against pregnancy resource centers would not be tolerated.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division also weighed in, highlighting the importance of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which protects individuals from facing threats or intimidation while performing their work. She affirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that access to a full spectrum of reproductive health services, including counseling on alternatives to abortion, remains protected.
The Jane’s Revenge group has been linked to a series of attacks on pro-life organizations across the United States, including firebombings and acts of vandalism. The group has publicly expressed its intention to target what it describes as “anti-choice” groups, calling for violent actions against them. In one of its posts, the group declared that it was “not one group but many,” with members spread across various states, including Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington, New York, and Texas. The group’s rhetoric has been inflammatory, urging individuals to take matters into their own hands and engage in violent acts, such as painting, burning, or cutting, against pro-life organizations.
The attacks on pro-life centers and churches have drawn widespread condemnation from politicians and organizations that support pro-life causes. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has called for the group to be investigated as a domestic terrorist organization, citing the numerous attacks and the group’s open calls for violence. He pointed to the Family Research Council’s compilation of over 50 attacks on pro-life centers and churches, many of which were claimed by Jane’s Revenge.
Oropesa, who faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for her role in the conspiracy, is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2025. Her conviction highlights the ongoing tension surrounding abortion rights in the United States and the increasingly aggressive tactics used by some activists on both sides of the debate. The case also underscores the importance of protecting individuals and organizations from violence and intimidation, regardless of their stance on reproductive rights.
