Police have made an arrest in what authorities have called a “targeted attack” in the torching of several Teslas at a collision center in Las Vegas.
Paul Kim, 36, was arrested by Las Vegas police on Wednesday on suspicion of third-degree arson, property destruction, shooting a gun into a vehicle, and possession of an explosive or flammable device.
On March 18 at 2:45 in the morning, five Teslas were set on fire at a collision center near Jones Boulevard and Badura Avenue. Police said the word “resist” was spray painted on the Tesla center’s front doors.
“He used what appeared to be multiple Molotov cocktails and firearms to conduct his attack,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Asst. Sheriff Dori Koren said last week.
The Las Vegas attacks were just one of several arson attacks involving Teslas over the past month. Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks domestic terrorism and promised to use the full power of the federal government to punish those involved.
“We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes,” Bondi said in a statement.
Protests have erupted all over the U.S with dozens of incidents reported of Teslas being keyed and torched. Organizers of a planned “Tesla Takedown” have promised to protest at all 277 Tesla dealerships across the U.S. next week on March 29 in an effort to bankrupt CEO Elon Musk. Musk has gone from a liberal darling to persona non grata over the past year following his embrace of President Donald Trump and his leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency, which has slashed thousands of federal jobs in the past month.
“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk posted on X in response to the Vegas attacks last week. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
Kim was due in court on Thursday afternoon. It was not clear what information police had that led to his arrest.
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