A Cottage Grove man accused of driving into the front entrance of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul in January and telling police that Jesus told him to do it pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of criminal damage to property.
A second count will be dismissed when Matthew L. Derosia, 33, is sentenced May 12 by Ramsey County District Judge John Van De North.
The criminal complaint said Derosia told police that Jesus told him to "stop the murderers."
Derosia has a history of mental illness but was ruled competent to stand trial.
The charges said he took his mother's boyfriend's sport-utility vehicle the morning of Jan. 22 and drove to the Highland Park clinic after he watched abortion coverage on a "Catholic channel" and decided that "he wasn't doing enough protesting."
The crash left scuff marks and cracked wood in the clinic's front-door frame. Planned Parenthood estimated the damage at between $2,500 and $5,000.
PAT PHEIFER
