Ithaca, N.Y. — A man was arrested Wednesday morning after crawling through the ductwork of a Planned Parenthood in Ithaca and then falling through a drop-ceiling, according to Officer Jamie Williamson.
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The man, whose name is expected to be released later today, is believed to have been under the influence of “severely impairing narcotics,” according to Williamson. Police think he had likely taken heroin.
The Planned Parenthood was evacuated and the 600 block of West Senenca Street was closed in the incident, but was expected to reopen later on Wednesday. There are no apparent injuries and Planned Parenthood staff said everyone was OK.
Here’s the account Officer Williamson gave of the incident:
— At some point this morning, a man entered the Planned Parenthood and asked to use the bathroom. He went into the bathroom.
— Employees at the facility thought something was “suspicious,” Williamson said, and tried to knock on the door to get the man’s attention. They couldn’t, and so the Planned Parenthood called police.
— Meanwhile, the man crawled through what Williamson described as a hatch in the bathroom and through duct-work. The duct-work led to a drop-ceiling. The man stepped on the drop-ceiling and “the moment you step on a drop-ceiling you fall through it, which he did,” Williamson said.
— After falling through the drop-ceiling, the man landed in a hallway in the Planned Parenthood. He then entered an adjacent room, which is where the police would find him.
— The man was taken into custody without further incident after police found him inside this room.
— The man is being transported in police custody and is awaiting arraignment. Possible charges include criminal mischief and trespassing, Williamson said.
— The man does not appear to have been injured in the fall to the point of needing medical attention, Williamson said.
— The man is a known user of heroin, according to Williamson.
— There’s no indication the man was intentionally targeting Planned Parenthood.