Man Arrested in Las Vegas Tesla Arson as Attacks on EV Brand Surge

Police have arrested Paul Hyon Kim, 36, for setting fire to Tesla vehicles and spray-painting “resist” at a Las Vegas service center on March 18. Kim faces state charges of arson, explosive possession, and shooting into a vehicle, plus federal charges of unregistered firearm possession and arson. He was taken into federal custody Thursday and will appear in U.S. District Court later today. No attorney was listed for him.

Security footage showed Kim, masked and in black, hurling Molotov cocktails and firing at vehicles. Sheriff Kevin McMahill said authorities are probing motives and links to similar Tesla vandalism nationwide, which has spiked since President Trump took office and Elon Musk began leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Recent cases include a woman charged in Colorado for attacking Tesla dealerships and a man arrested in South Carolina for burning charging stations. Pacific Northwest cities like Portland and Seattle have seen frequent incidents, including shootings and Molotov cocktail attacks on Tesla properties. FBI agent Spencer Evans called the Las Vegas case suggestive of terrorism but offered no firm conclusion.