UMass Boston Student Charged with Arson at Kansas City Tesla Facility

Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old student attending college in Boston, was arrested and charged with using Molotov cocktails to set fire to two Tesla Cybertrucks and two charging stations at a Kansas City dealership on March 17. According to federal authorities, McIntire faces charges of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire of property used in interstate commerce. Surveillance footage and witness videos reportedly identified McIntire as the suspect, and he was apprehended while on spring break. The incident caused over $212,000 in vehicle damage and prompted a strong warning from the U.S. Attorney General, emphasizing the consequences of targeting Tesla properties. An unbroken incendiary device was also found at the scene, and law enforcement agencies including the FBI and ATF were involved in the investigation. This case follows other attacks on Tesla properties across the country, as authorities crack down on such crimes.