4 days ago
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A fishy has been arrested successful transportation to a February arson onslaught astatine a Tesla installation successful New Mexico, FBI manager Kash Patel announced connected Monday.
Jamison Wagner, 40, was taken into custody Saturday greeting by the FBI Albuquerque and the ATF Phoenix Field Division, according to Patel and the Department of Justice. Patel said the apprehension came aft instrumentality enforcement discovered grounds from the ongoing probe of past month's alleged arson astatine the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters.
"Evidence recovered astatine the country powerfully suggests that this weekend, our brave agents prevented further planned arson attacks," Patel said.
According to the Department of Justice, the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom was targeted successful an arson onslaught successful the aboriginal greeting hours of Feb. 9, 2025.
DOJ Handout
Two Tesla vehicles were damaged successful the Feb. 9 attack, according to the transgression complaint. Red and achromatic graffiti was besides recovered connected the facility's gathering and six different vehicles. The words said "Die Elon," "Tesla Nazi Inc," and "Die Tesla Nazi," arsenic good arsenic different swastika symbols.
The transgression ailment against Wagner besides alleged helium was liable for the March 30 incidental astatine the GOP office successful Albuquerque. The entryway was destroyed and the enactment alleged that the words "ICE=KKK" had besides been spray-painted, authorities said.
Albuquerque, NM GOP office imaginable arson.
CBS News
Investigators connected some arsons done the suspect's usage of homemade incendiary devices which utilized solid containers and flammable liquids, the Justice Department said. Using surveillance footage, which captured the suspect's representation and vehicle, authorities determined Wagner arsenic a "significant idiosyncratic of interest."
On Saturday, April 12, FBI and ATF officials searched Wagner's residence successful Albuquerque and recovered respective grounds linking him to the crimes, including 8 assembled suspected incendiary devices, worldly recovered successful the improvised napalm utilized successful the Tesla fire, ignitable liquids accordant with the gasoline utilized astatine some occurrence scenes, and a stencil bearing the operation "ICE=KKK," accordant with graffiti recovered astatine the GOP headquarters, tribunal documents show.
Stencil recovered astatine Wagner's residence.
DOJ Handout
Wagner was charged with 2 counts of malicious harm oregon demolition of spot by occurrence oregon explosives, according to the complaint. He volition stay successful custody pending a detention hearing, the Department of Justice said. If convicted, Wagner faces betwixt 5 and 20 years successful situation for each count.
There person been several attacks astatine Tesla dealerships crossed the U.S. amid ongoing protests against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his relation successful the White House's Department of Government Efficiency.
The incidents person progressive arson, gunfire, and vandalism, including graffiti expressing grievances, according to a associated quality bulletin issued by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. Several radical person been arrested, including a fishy successful Colorado who allegedly attempted to airy Teslas connected occurrence with Molotov cocktails.
"Let this beryllium the last acquisition to those taking portion successful this ongoing question of governmental violence," Attorney General Pam Bondi said successful a quality merchandise Monday. "We volition apprehension you, we volition prosecute you, and we volition not negotiate. Crimes person consequences."
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- Tesla
- New Mexico
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Kiki Intarasuwan is simply a quality exertion for CBS News & Stations.
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