‘You Will Spend Decades Behind Bars’: FBI Arrests College Student Over Tesla Arson Attack

The Justice Department announced Friday that a 19-year-old male college student had been arrested for allegedly setting on fire two Cybertrucks using two homemade Molotov cocktails at a Tesla Center in Kansas City.

The suspect, Owen McIntire, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce. Using surveillance footage and cell phone data, the FBI identified McIntire, who attends college in Boston, as the man who committed the arson.

“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

On March 17, a police officer observed smoke near the KC Tesla Showroom and found smoke coming from a Cybertruck. The officer put out the fire outside of the vehicle, but was unable to stop the burning of the Cybertruck, which also spread to another vehicle. Both vehicles were worth over $100,000.

Surveillance footage from nearby residences showed a suspect near the scene of the crime “wearing dark flowy clothing and a large, white-colored hat” believed by investigators to be McIntire, according to an affidavit provided to show probable cause. The FBI eventually matched the car seen near the scene, surveillance footage, and witness testimony to McIntire.

McIntrire is alleged to have carried out the attack while home on spring break from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Tesla facilities and vehicles across the country have been targeted with vandalism and arson as part of backlash to Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency. The Justice Department is treating the attacks as instances of domestic terrorism.

“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible.”

On Monday, the DOJ announced the arrest of 40-year-old Jamison Wagner over arson attacks that targeted the headquarters of the Republican Party and a Tesla showroom in New Mexico. Wagner could face 40 years in prison if convicted.

The attack Wagner is accused of orchestrating did significant damage to the GOP headquarters in Albuquerque and burned out two Teslas.