Apr 18, 2025 minute read

A Missouri man has been arrested and charged with allegedly firebombing multiple Tesla vehicles at a dealership in Kansas City. Owen McIntire, 19, a college student in Boston, was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday. He has been accused of torching Tesla Cybertrucks with incendiary devices, also known as Molotov cocktails.

McIntire 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, according to the Department of Justice. The Tesla location that the defendant allegedly targeted on March 17 is located at 10111 State Line Road in Kansas City, Missouri. He was arraigned on Friday in the US District Court in Massachusetts.

“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 in a press release. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
 

According to an FBI affidavit, McIntire was captured on surveillance video approaching the Kansas City Tesla Center at approximately 11:10 pm on March 17. He allegedly ignited two incendiary devices and threw them at a Cybertruck. McIntire was observed on video wearing dark, flowy clothing and a light-colored brim hat. Additionally, a vehicle registered to a relative of McIntire, a white 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, was captured on street surveillance video, which showed McIntire exit the driver’s seat.

McIntire was observed on surveillance video igniting incendiary devices.

McIntire’s vehicle was captured on street surveillance video near the location of the attack
An officer with the Kansas City Police Department who was in the vicinity of the Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the business lot. The officers recovered an unbroken suspected incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail, that was near the burning Cybertruck. The fire spread to a second Cybertruck in the lot, as well as two charging stations, according to the affidavit

McIntire has been accused of causing extensive monetary damages to the Tesla property. The Cybertrucks had sales prices of $105,485 and $107,485, while the charging stations were each valued at roughly $550, per court documents.

“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 Department of Justice has been investigating the recent attacks on Tesla properties as domestic terror-related incidents. Several suspects have been arrested across the country since President Trump took office in January for launching attacks on dealerships, vehicles, and charging stations. This includes firebombings, shootings, and vandalism incidents. The DOJ said the attacks are politically motivated against Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who has been tapped by the Trump administration to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Attorney General Pam Bondi said many of the apprehended suspects are facing 20 years in prison.

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