A Tesla Model S was deliberately set on fire in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Thursday in what authorities are investigating as arson. According to the Seattle Times, an unidentified suspect doused the vehicle with gasoline, ignited it, and fled the scene.
Firefighters arrived at approximately 8:15 p.m. to find the vehicle engulfed in flames. While the Seattle Police Department has not yet apprehended a suspect, officers recovered a gasoline can and a plastic bag at the scene. Security footage is being reviewed to identify the arsonist.
This attack comes amid a string of anti-Tesla incidents in the Seattle area, including Capitol Hill. Over the weekend, vandals spray-painted six Tesla Cybertrucks with profanity and swastikas at a dealership in Lynnwood, Washington. Additionally, four Cybertrucks were either damaged or destroyed in a fire at a Seattle parking lot on Sunday night, prompting speculation of another arson attack. Authorities are still investigating the cause.
These acts of vandalism and arson follow another high-profile Tesla fire earlier this year. On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck was seen fully engulfed in flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, an incident that authorities labeled an “active crime scene.”
With the rising hostility toward Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, questions remain about whether these incidents are connected or part of a broader pattern of politically motivated attacks. Investigations are ongoing.
Earlier this week, Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has identified federal entitlement programs, including Social Security, as primary targets for spending reductions, citing significant fraud and waste.
In a televised interview, Musk estimated that fraud within these programs amounts to $500 billion to $700 billion, a figure substantially higher than watchdog reports. For instance, the Social Security Administration’s inspector general reported from fiscal years 2015 to 2022 there was $71.8 billion in improper payments, representing less than 1% of benefits disbursed during that period.
