Arizona man arrested for arson attack on Tesla dealership with ‘THEIF’ vandalism: Police

A 35-year-old was arrested for an arson attack on a Tesla dealership in Mesa on Monday morning, according to Arizona police.

Police were called to the dealership near Southern Avenue and Sossaman Road on Monday at about 2 a.m. over a report of an explosion. They found a Tesla Cybertruck on fire near a building of the dealership.

‘If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. No negotiating.’

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and stop it from spreading to the building. Investigators found vandalism that read, “THEIF,” on one of the buildings.

Police said they were able to obtain nearby surveillance video showing a man on a bicycle near the dealership at about the time of the attack.

During the investigation, police said that they noticed a suspicious van near the corner of Southern and Rowan and then witnessed a man ride up to the van on a bicycle and open a door. He was identified as Ian Moses.

Moses was charged with arson on a structure and property and was booked into jail.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement about the arrest.

“Today we are pleased to announce federal charges against a Tesla attacker arrested in Arizona,” she wrote on social media. “If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. No negotiating.”

No injuries were reported at the Mesa incident.

President Donald Trump has promised to prosecute vandalism and other acts of violence against Tesla vehicles and buildings as domestic terrorism, and Bondi has followed through on that threat.

The attacks on Tesla had led to a precipitous fall in the company’s value and forced billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to lessen his attention to the Department of Government Efficiency in order to focus on his companies.

Scenes from the dealership as well as the surveillance video of the bicyclist can be viewed on the news video from KNXV-TV on YouTube.

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