Anti-abortion activists arrested for entering White Plains clinic

Three men accused of entering a White Plains women’s health care clinic to stop medical providers from performing abortions were arrested Saturday morning, according to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

At All Women’s Medical clinic, three people aligned with Red Rose Rescue, an anti-abortion group, entered the clinic for over two hours, according to a Facebook post by the group. The incident was reported just after 8:30 a.m., police said.

White Plains police arrested the three men, although they were later released to appear in court in two weeks. In an email Wednesday, Chief Joseph P. Castelli said police arrested William Goodman and Christopher Moscinski, a Franciscan friar, on suspicion of third-degree criminal trespassing, while Matthew Connolly was booked for trespassing.

In a statement Wednesday, District Attorney Mimi Rocah said investigators are looking into whether they illegally interfered with patients receiving access to medical care under New York state health law protecting patients and staff trying to obtain or provide reproductive health care. They could also face trespassing charges, she added.

“Criminal conduct which interferes with the rights of Westchester County residents to freely access health care is serious, and will be, if appropriate, prosecuted to the fullest extent possible,” Rocah said.