3 people face federal charges in Tesla arson attacks in U.S. as 80 more vehicles at Canada dealership are damaged
About 80 Tesla vehicles at a car dealership in Canada were damaged, authorities said, as the United States Attorney General announced charges Thursday against three people accused of using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla cars and charging stations.
On Wednesday, police in Hamilton, Canada, were called to a dealership on Wentworth Street for a report of damage to vehicles that had been parked outside. The vehicles had deep scratches, punctured tires and other damage, the Hamilton police said in a news release.
Authorities are reviewing security footage and are asking the public for help.
Similar incidents have happened across several U.S. states in recent weeks. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced charges against three “violent Tesla arsonists” following attacks in Colorado, Oregon, and South Carolina.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
One person was allegedly armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle and threw eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, a news release states.
The person arrested in the Charleston, South Carolina, incident, allegedly wrote “profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations” before using Molotov cocktails to ignite the stations on fire, according to the news release.
In Loveland, Colorado, a person was arrested after attempting to light Tesla vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails.
Bondi vowed that all three will “face the full force of the law.” Their names have not been released. They each face charges that carry a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison.
On Tuesday, a person armed with a gun and Molotov cocktails set Tesla vehicles on fire at a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas. Police said it was a “targeted attack” that left at least five vehicles damaged, including two which were engulfed in flames.
The attacker allegedly “fired three rounds into different Tesla vehicles” and spray-painted the word “RESIST” in all capital letters on the center’s door.
Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO and adviser to President Donald Trump, said in a post Thursday on X that Tesla has increased security and activated Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores. The safety feature allows enabled vehicles’ cameras and sensors to remain powered on and ready to record suspicious activity.