A Boston college student has been charged in connection with an incident involving two Cybertrucks at a Tesla center in Kansas City. The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Owen McIntire, 19, from Kansas City, faces charges of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire to property used in interstate commerce.
The Attorney General issued a stern warning against such acts of vandalism, emphasizing that perpetrators will face arrest, prosecution, and potentially severe sentencing. The incident occurred around 11:16 p.m. on March 17, when a police officer noticed smoke emanating from a Cybertruck parked at the Kansas City Tesla Center.
Upon investigation, the officer discovered an unbroken incendiary device, believed to be a Molotov cocktail, near the vehicle. The fire subsequently spread to another Cybertruck parked nearby. Firefighters responded promptly, extinguishing the flames.
An investigation led by local law enforcement in collaboration with forensics experts, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in the identification and arrest of a suspect, as confirmed by the Acting Director of the ATF.
This marks the second time federal agents have detained an individual in connection with fires at Tesla centers. Previously, another person was charged in relation to arson incidents at a Tesla showroom and the Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque, as reported by the Department of Justice.