Man arrested in Molotov cocktail attack at Las Vegas Tesla shop also facing federal charges

A Las Vegas man has been charged in the Molotov cocktail attack that torched several Teslas at a dealership last week. 

Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was arrested Wednesday by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, after at least five cars were allegedly set on fire March 18 at a local Tesla Collision Center.

Kim has been charged with multiple crimes ranging from destruction of property, arson, and possessing a fire device, according to jail records. 

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He will also face federal charges, Spencer Evans, the FBI agent-in-charge of the bureau’s Las Vegas office, told reporters at a Thursday news briefing. 

“There’s nothing courageous or noble about firebombing private property and terrorizing your local community,” Evans said. “The self-righteous 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. And at the end of the day, you and you alone will be held responsible and face the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence.”

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Police say Kim arrived near the location in a black Hyundai Elantra before walking over to the Tesla building. He allegedly concealed his face, wore gloves and black clothing. 

He allegedly also damaged surveillance cameras with a rifle, police said.

The word “resist” was spray-painted on the Tesla center’s front doors. An unlit Molotov cocktail was found in one of the cars, police said. 

Authorities said Kim’s social media activity showed potential links to communist groups and Palestinian causes. His DNA matched DNA samples collected at the scene of the attack, authorities said. 

Investigators searched two vehicles linked to Kim and his apartment, and found multiple firearms, including rifles, a shotgun a handgun, gun parts, as well as ammunition. 

Multiple attacks on Tesla dealerships and factories have been reported in recent weeks, many stemming from opponents of the Trump administration and Elon Musk over his role with the electric vehicle company and his work within the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

In response, the FBI has launched a task force to crack down on violent attacks, with the group created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) to coordinate investigative activity.