Watch: Man charged for destroying multiple Teslas in Las Vegas, arrested
Las Vegas Police have apprehended a suspect, Paul Hyon Kim, for setting fire to Tesla vehicles, authorities announced on Thursday.
Kim, who is 36 and faces multiple charges in state and federal courts for the incident, was transferred to federal custody.
The state charges against him include arson, possession of an explosive device and weapon-related offences, Clark County sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press briefing.
On the other hand, federal charges against the suspect include arson and unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm, as detailed in a criminal complaint.
A security video played at the news conference showed a person, believed to be Kim, dressed in black and covering his face, painting the word “resist” across the glass doors of a Tesla service centre early on March 18.
Court records on Thursday showed no listed legal representation for the suspect.
US attorney general warns of ‘severe legal consequences’
The Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement emergency services were called to the Tesla repair centre on March 18 after reports of gunshots.
“During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five vehicles and graffiti was sprayed to write ‘Resist’ on the front of the building,” the statement noted.
Kim was arrested a week later. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the arson charge alone.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences. We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned,” the statement quoted US attorney general Pam Bondi as saying.
Targeting of Tesla properties
Violent attacks on Tesla-branded properties have increased across the United States and internationally since US President Donald Trump appointed its CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which has reduced government expenditure.
Recent incidents include charges against a woman in Colorado for attacking Tesla dealerships and the arrest of a man in South Carolina for burning charging stations of the EV maker’s vehicles.
Additional incidents include an Oregon resident charged for attacking a Tesla store in Salem with Molotov cocktails and gunfire. In Tigard, near Portland, a Tesla showroom suffered damage from multiple gunshots twice within a week.
(With agency inputs)
