Three people accused of using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla vehicles and charging stations are now facing charges — and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed they’ll face the “full force of the law” for the arson attacks.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said. “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.”
All of the suspects were taken into custody in different states, but authorities have so far provided few other details. The Justice Department announced the arrests in a statement on Thursday that did not provide their names, but spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle later confirmed to USA TODAY that the defendants are Adam Matthew Lansky, Lucy Grace Nelson, and Daniel Brendan Kurt Clarke-Pounder.
Lansky, who was armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle at the time, was taken into custody “after throwing approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon,” the Justice Department said.
The second suspect, Nelson, was arrested in Loveland, Colo., after attempting to “light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails,” according to the press release. She was later “found in possession of materials used to produce additional incendiary weapons.” She’s facing charges including illegal possession of firearms and trying to commit arson against vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce, according to a March 5 indictment.
Clarke-Pounder was meanwhile apprehended in Charleston, South Carolina. He allegedly “wrote profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails,” the statement said.
Each of them “faces serious charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison,” according the Justice Department.
Attacks on Tesla vehicles and properties have become increasingly common in recent weeks. There have also been incidents reported in major cities across the United States, including Seattle, Kansas City, and Las Vegas, as well as in Canada.
Police are seen in front of a Tesla repair shop in Las Vegas after vehicles were set on fire Tuesday. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
On Wednesday, more than 80 Tesla vehicles parked outside an auto dealership in Ontario were targeted and damaged by activists.
The incidents began not long after Tesla CEO Elon Musk began his role with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, through which he has dramatically slashed the federal workforce. He spent nearly $300 million to help elect Donald Trump and his allies in the 2024 U.S. elections