Tesla Cybertruck firebombing reported. A 19-year-old Missouri man has been arrested and charged with firebombing Tesla Cybertrucks at a dealership in Kansas City, in what federal officials are labeling a politically motivated act of domestic terrorism. Owen McIntire, a college student in Boston, was taken into FBI custody Friday and now faces serious federal charges after allegedly using Molotov cocktails to ignite multiple Tesla vehicles and charging stations.
According to the Department of Justice, McIntire has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of property used in interstate commerce. The attack occurred at the Kansas City Tesla Center on March 17, where McIntire reportedly targeted a pair of Cybertrucks valued at over $100,000 each.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows McIntire arriving at the dealership around 11:10 p.m., dressed in dark clothing and a light-colored brimmed hat. He is seen throwing two incendiary devices at one of the trucks, igniting a blaze that spread to a second Cybertruck and two charging stations. A Kansas City police officer on patrol in the area witnessed the fire and recovered an unbroken Molotov cocktail from the scene.
Federal agents were able to link McIntire to the crime after identifying a white 2021 Subaru Crosstrek—registered to a relative—near the dealership. Video surveillance captured McIntire exiting the vehicle shortly before the firebombing.
“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla,” FBI Director Kash Patel said, warning that further incidents will be aggressively prosecuted. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the message: “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars.”
Since President Trump’s return to office, the Department of Justice has treated recent attacks on Tesla facilities—including firebombings, shootings, and vandalism—as acts of domestic terrorism. Officials say these attacks are motivated by political animosity toward Elon Musk, who now serves in the Trump administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The DOJ reports that several suspects have already been apprehended, with many facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
A 19-year-old Missouri man has been arrested and charged with firebombing Tesla Cybertrucks at a dealership in Kansas City, in what federal officials are labeling a politically motivated act of domestic terrorism. Owen McIntire, a college student in Boston, was taken into FBI custody Friday and now faces serious federal charges after allegedly using Molotov cocktails to ignite multiple Tesla vehicles and charging stations.
According to the Department of Justice, McIntire has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of property used in interstate commerce. The attack occurred at the Kansas City Tesla Center on March 17, where McIntire reportedly targeted a pair of Cybertrucks valued at over $100,000 each.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows McIntire arriving at the dealership around 11:10 p.m., dressed in dark clothing and a light-colored brimmed hat. He is seen throwing two incendiary devices at one of the trucks, igniting a blaze that spread to a second Cybertruck and two charging stations. A Kansas City police officer on patrol in the area witnessed the fire and recovered an unbroken Molotov cocktail from the scene.
Federal agents were able to link McIntire to the crime after identifying a white 2021 Subaru Crosstrek—registered to a relative—near the dealership. Video surveillance captured McIntire exiting the vehicle shortly before the firebombing.
“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla,” FBI Director Kash Patel said, warning that further incidents will be aggressively prosecuted. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the message: “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars.”
Since President Trump’s return to office, the Department of Justice has treated recent attacks on Tesla facilities—including firebombings, shootings, and vandalism—as acts of domestic terrorism. Officials say these attacks are motivated by political animosity toward Elon Musk, who now serves in the Trump administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The DOJ reports that several suspects have already been apprehended, with many facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
