A University of Massachusetts Boston student has been busted for the firebombing of a Tesla dealership in Missouri, federal officials have said, according to the New York Post. On March 17, 19-year-old Owen McIntire was back in his hometown of Parkville, Missouri, when he drove to a Tesla dealership in nearby Kansas City and threw two Molotov cocktails at a Cybertruck. The attack caused a fire and also thousands of dollars in damage, the Justice Department said.
McIntire has been accused of concocting two homemade incendiary devices and using them to destroy the two Cybertrucks, which cost $105,485 and $107,495. While one of the bombs exploded, the second one was recovered intact by investigators. The blaze also damaged two Tesla charging stations, which cost $550 each.
Who is Owen McIntire?
Not much has been revealed about McIntire except his age and university. The Justice Department confirmed that according to a criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Missouri, he is 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.
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate.”
{{/usCountry}}Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”
The case is being prosecuted by are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are involved in the investigation.