UMass Student Charged with Firebombing Tesla Dealership During Spring Break

A 19-year-old University of Massachusetts Boston student, Owen McIntire, has been arrested and charged for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership in Kansas City during Spring Break, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, April 18.

McIntire was taken into custody by FBI agents on the UMass Boston campus and made an initial court appearance the same day.

According to a federal criminal complaint, McIntire is facing charges of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire to property used in interstate commerce. The incident occurred on March 17, while McIntire was on break from school.

Investigators allege that McIntire parked a block away from the Tesla dealership, approached on foot, and threw a Molotov cocktail — made from an apple cider vinegar bottle and rag — at the site before fleeing. The attack caused extensive damage to two Cybertrucks and two Tesla charging stations, with losses estimated at over $200,000.

Authorities were alerted when smoke was seen rising from one of the Cybertrucks. Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts helped identify McIntire, who was reportedly wearing distinctive dark clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. The hat, later discarded nearby, was recovered and tested for DNA.

Additional evidence included photographs of McIntire with luggage at Kansas City International Airport around the time of the attack.

This incident is the second arrest in an ongoing investigation into a series of arsons targeting Tesla facilities across the U.S.