College student arrested over firebombing of Kansas City Tesla dealership Photo/Video

A college student has been arrested in Kansas City, Missouri, for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership, in an incident that caused significant damage to multiple vehicles and charging stations.

Owen McIntire, 19, has been charged with unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire to property involved in interstate commerce, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The incident occurred on March 17, when McIntire, who was reportedly home in Kansas City for spring break, approached the dealership after parking a block away. Authorities say McIntire threw a Molotov cocktail at the dealership before fleeing the scene in their vehicle. Firefighters were soon on the scene, where they found a smouldering Cybertruck and an incendiary device made from an apple cider vinegar bottle and a rag.

BREAKING: FBI arrested Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old college student in Boston, for reportedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla facility in Kansas City, MO, while home on spring break. pic.twitter.com/4TWvuAVUvf

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) April 18, 2025

Witnesses and surveillance footage played a crucial role in tracking McIntire down. Police described the suspect as wearing "dark, flowy clothing and a large-brimmed hat." The FBI eventually traced McIntire to the University of Massachusetts Boston campus, where they were arrested. DNA evidence collected from the scene helped confirm McIntire’s involvement.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a stern warning: “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us. You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage, with two Cybertrucks and two charging stations set ablaze. McIntire appeared in court for the first time on Friday.

This arrest follows another similar case in New Mexico, where Jamison Wagner was detained for setting fire to a Tesla dealership and the Republican Party headquarters. Wagner now faces charges that could result in up to 20 years in prison for each count.

The authorities have made it clear that attacks on Tesla properties will not go unpunished, signalling a strong response to acts of vandalism across the country.

By Aghakazim Guliyev