A New Mexico man has been arrested and charged with arson following a targeted attack on a Tesla store in Bernalillo earlier this year that left two vehicles damaged.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 40-year-old Jamison Wagner was arrested on April 13 after a federal investigation linked him to the February 9 attack on the Tesla location just outside Albuquerque. Surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and materials recovered from his home were key to the arrest.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours, when emergency crews responded to a fire at the Tesla store’s parking lot around 3:15 a.m. Two Model Y vehicles were found damaged, one of them severely. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the fire was deliberately set, citing the use of an incendiary device containing a gelatinous, napalm-like substance.
Federal agents also found disturbing graffiti at the scene, including phrases such as “Die Elon” and “Tesla Nazi Inc,” spray-painted on the vehicles and the building. A glass container believed to have been used as an improvised firebomb was found inside one of the damaged vehicles, still containing traces of the flammable substance.
A search of Wagner’s home turned up additional incendiary devices, black and red spray paint cans, clothing matching what was seen on security footage, and a stencil bearing the phrase “ICE=KKK,” which was later linked to another arson case at the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters. Authorities believe Wagner may have been planning further attacks, which they say were motivated by ideological grievances.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has pledged to pursue harsher penalties for politically motivated attacks on Tesla, said Wagner could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. “These are not simple property crimes,” she said. “They are deliberate acts of intimidation and destruction, and we will not tolerate them.”
BREAKING: We have made an arrest in connection to the February firebombing of a New Mexico Tesla dealership and the March attack on the New Mexico Republican Party Headquarters.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) April 14, 2025
We will be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law. We are seeking up to 40 years in prison—no…
The arrest comes as Tesla has faced a wave of attacks in recent months. The FBI has recorded incidents involving arson, gunfire, and vandalism targeting Tesla stores and Superchargers in at least nine states. Several suspects have already been arrested in connection with similar cases in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, and South Carolina.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has publicly commented on the situation, called the attacks “insane and deeply wrong,” adding that “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
Wagner has been charged with arson of property used in interstate commerce. He has not yet entered a plea, and a detention hearing is scheduled later this week. No injuries were reported in the Tesla incident.
