Las Vegas man firebombed, shot up Teslas at site, police say

A man charged with carrying out an arson attack at a Tesla collision center in Las Vegas appeared in federal court on Friday after his arrest. The suspect, Las Vegas resident Paul Hyon Kim, was also charged with unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm, according to the Department of Justice.

Kim is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If convicted, he could face from 5 to 20 years in prison for arson and up to 10 years for the firearm charge.

What do police say the attacker did? Around 2:45 a.m. on March 18, the suspect spray-painted “RESIST” on the Tesla facility, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. He then firebombed and shot several vehicles, completely destroying three, police said. 

How did the police department locate the suspect? The department said it worked with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and hundreds of investigators to find the suspect. Their initial leads included grainy surveillance footage and DNA found at the site. The investigation canvassed more than 700 locations during the search. FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency would continue to pursue instigators of anti-Tesla attacks.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report on the spate of attacks against Tesla facilities.