Scholar may face ‘a long time behind bars’ for alleged Tesla firebomb assault in Missouri

[ad_1] A pupil may face “a long time behind bars” after being accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership in Missouri.

Owen McIntire is accused of setting fireplace to 2 Tesla Cybertrucks value greater than $100,000 every and damaging two charging stations value $550 every on March 17 at round 11:16 p.m. in Kansas Metropolis, the Division of Justice mentioned.

McIntire, a 19-year-old pupil at Boston’s College of Massachusetts, appeared in federal court docket Friday and has been charged with one rely of illegal possession of an unregistered damaging system and one rely of malicious harm by fireplace of any property utilized in interstate commerce.

“Let me be extraordinarily clear to anybody who nonetheless desires to firebomb a Tesla property: you'll not evade us,” Legal professional Common Pam Bondi mentioned. “You'll be arrested. You'll be prosecuted. You'll spend a long time behind bars. It's not value it.”

<img alt="McIntire, a 19-year-old student at Boston’s University of Massachusetts, appeared in federal court Friday and has been 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. (Department of Justice)" loading="lazy" width="960" height="641" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/B_F3d4yru0q6K1vJOVy2.Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_independent_577/dfba4bdca6564af0a754af8e98c65b38"/> McIntire, a 19-year-old pupil at Boston’s College of Massachusetts, appeared in federal court docket Friday and has been charged with one rely of illegal possession of an unregistered damaging system and one rely of malicious harm by fireplace of any property utilized in interstate commerce. (Division of Justice)

Prosecutors allege that McIntire used a Molotov cocktail to start out the fireplace. A Kansas Metropolis police officer within the space noticed smoke coming from one of many Cybertrucks within the dealership’s parking heaps and likewise found a burnt rag subsequent to the Molotov cocktail, in accordance with an affidavit.

The officer tried to extinguish the flames however was unsuccessful and a second car caught fireplace. Fireplace fighters arrived on the scene and put out the blaze, the affidavit mentioned.

McIntire was house for spring break on the time of the incident, in accordance with the DOJ. Three witnesses gave descriptions that matched what McIntire was carrying that night time, in accordance with the affidavit.

“The person was carrying darkish flowy clothes and a big, white-colored hat and carrying a light-colored bag,” the affidavit mentioned. The hat was later discovered within the yard of a witness the day after the fireplace.

One other witness filmed a video of the fireplace and posted it on X, the affidavit mentioned. The witness claimed they noticed McIntire fleeing the scene.

<img alt="McIntire was seen on surveillance footage at Kansas City International Airport after the incident, according to the DOJ. He was apprehended by officers back in Boston. (Department of Justice)" loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/RuijBSHNeVy20n0e.kU42A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_independent_577/733dbba054aace9f24f1f781e6e51fdf"/> McIntire was seen on surveillance footage at Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Airport after the incident, in accordance with the DOJ. He was apprehended by officers again in Boston. (Division of Justice)

The coed was additionally allegedly captured on surveillance at Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Airport after the incident. Legislation enforcement discovered proof pointing to McIntire after reviewing the coed’s social media profiles, cellular phone information and flight data, the affadavit mentioned.

McIntire was apprehended after returning to high school in Boston.

Bondi is cracking down on what she described as “a wave of home terrorism” in opposition to Elon Musk’s Tesla automobiles. The backlash comes after the billionaire has taken a central position within the Trump administration by means of the Division of Authorities Effectivity.

Final week, the DOJ charged a person with vandalizing a Tesla dealership in New Mexico and setting fireplace to the headquarters of the state Republican Social gathering.

A legal criticism costs Jamison R. Wagner, 40, with federal arson costs in reference to the vandalism in February at a Tesla showroom in Bernalillo, the place authorities discovered two Tesla Mannequin Y automobiles ablaze in addition to spray-painted graffiti messages together with “Die Elon" and “Die Tesla Nazi,” the Related Press studies.

The Justice Division has charged 4 different instances in opposition to individuals accused of utilizing Molotov cocktails to destroy Tesla vehicles and fireplace stations.