A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an arson attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas that left multiple vehicles destroyed.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Paul Hyon Kim on Wednesday, following a week-long investigation into the March 18 attack that saw at least five Tesla vehicles set ablaze with Molotov cocktails. The suspect, dressed in black and wearing a mask and gloves, also reportedly fired rounds into the parked vehicles and shot out surveillance cameras before spray-painting the word “RESIST” on the facility’s front doors.
Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren called the incident a “targeted attack,” and while investigators currently believe Kim acted alone, the FBI and local law enforcement are exploring broader links to a recent wave of vandalism and politically charged protests aimed at Tesla facilities across the U.S.
Security footage captured the scene as flames engulfed multiple Tesla vehicles. Police recovered an unexploded incendiary device from the scene, which helped forensic teams collect DNA that ultimately led to Kim’s identification.
Authorities tracked Kim down through a combination of DNA evidence, surveillance footage, and license plate reader data. He was allegedly driving a black Hyundai Elantra and was found with weapons, ammunition, paint-stained gear, and clothing consistent with what was seen on security footage from the attack.
Kim now faces a range of state charges, including third-degree arson, property destruction, possession of a flammable device, and discharging a firearm into vehicles. The FBI has also obtained a federal warrant and may pursue federal charges related to arson and domestic terrorism.
“There’s nothing courageous or noble about firebombing private property and terrorizing your local community. The self-righeous mob that’s cheering you on today to commit acts of violence on their behalf will leave you high and dry and forget about you tomorrow,” said FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans. (via News 3 LV)
