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A student is reportedly facing the possibility of significant prison time after being accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership in Missouri.
Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old student enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, was charged following an incident on March 17 around 11:16 p.m. in Kansas City. The Department of Justice reported that two Tesla Cybertrucks, valued over $100,000 each, sustained fire damage, alongside two charging stations, each worth $550.
On Friday, McIntire appeared in federal court where he was charged with unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire to property involved in interstate commerce.
Attorney General Pam Bondi firmly warned against such actions, stating, “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us. You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
Authorities allege that McIntire utilized a Molotov cocktail to ignite the fire. A police officer patrolling the area noted smoke emanating from the dealership’s parking lot and discovered a burnt rag alongside the Molotov cocktail, according to an accompanying affidavit.
Despite efforts to extinguish the flames, the fire spread to a second vehicle before firefighters arrived to control it.
During spring break, McIntire was in the area, and several witnesses provided descriptions aligning with what he was wearing that night. The affidavit noted, “The individual was wearing dark flowy clothing and a large, white-colored hat and carrying a light-colored bag.” This hat was later found in a witness’s backyard the day after the incident.
Additionally, one witness recorded the fire and shared the footage on social media, claiming to have seen McIntire fleeing the scene.
Surveillance cameras later captured McIntire at Kansas City International Airport shortly after the fire, with subsequent investigations linking him through social media activity, cell phone records, and travel details. Law enforcement apprehended him upon his return to Boston.
Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the situation, describing it as part of a broader trend of “a wave of domestic terrorism” directed at Tesla. This surge in incidents comes amid Elon Musk’s controversial presence in political and governmental spheres, particularly regarding his ties to the Trump administration.
Just last week, another individual faced federal charges for vandalizing a Tesla dealership in New Mexico and setting fire to the state Republican Party’s headquarters.
Jamison R. Wagner, 40, was charged with arson following vandalism at a Tesla showroom, where authorities discovered two Tesla Model Y vehicles on fire and spray-painted messages expressing hostility towards Musk and Tesla.
The Justice Department also reported other cases focused on individuals accused of employing Molotov cocktails to attack Tesla vehicles and related properties.
Source
www.yahoo.com