LOS ANGELES, CA – Daniel Jongyon Park, a 32-year-old man from Kent, Washington, died Tuesday morning while in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles, according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Park was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 7:30 a.m. Staff initiated life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. No staff or other incarcerated individuals were injured, and the incident did not pose a threat to the public, officials said.
Park had been in federal custody since June 13, 2025, under pretrial detention following his indictment on charges related to the May 17 bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California. He was charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Park allegedly provided large quantities of ammonium nitrate, an explosive precursor, to Guy Edward Bartkus, the individual who carried out the suicide bombing at the clinic. Bartkus died in the explosion, which also injured multiple individuals and caused significant structural damage to the clinic and surrounding area.
Federal authorities allege Park shipped approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus and later paid for an additional 90 pounds to be sent. Investigators also allege that Park stayed with Bartkus for two weeks in early 2025, during which time the two conducted chemical experiments in a detached garage. That same location was later searched by law enforcement and found to contain materials associated with bomb-making.
Following the bombing, Park traveled to Europe and was detained in Poland on May 30. He was deported to the United States and arrested upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on June 12.
The investigation is being led by the FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from multiple federal, state, and international agencies. If convicted, Park faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service have been notified of Park’s death. An official cause of death has not been released, and the incident remains under review.
