Another individual involved in the attack on the same dealership is now facing federal charges.
On Thursday, law enforcement apprehended an additional suspect linked to the vandalism of a Tesla dealership in northern Colorado.
Cooper Jo Frederick, who resides in Fort Collins, has been charged with five felonies, including second-degree arson, for allegedly targeting the Loveland Tesla dealership on March 7. According to a police
release, an incendiary device was ignited and thrown at the building, landing between two vehicles while a cleaning crew was present inside.
Prior reports from the Loveland Police Department
indicated that a gas-filled container was used to start a fire between two vehicles parked between buildings at the dealership. Officers responded promptly to extinguish the flames and discovered damage from rocks thrown at the dealership, affecting several cars and the structure itself.
The incident on March 7 is the latest in a series of vandalism acts targeting the Loveland Tesla dealership, which has been under siege since January. Last month, police
arrested Lucy Grace Nelson for engaging in multiple acts of graffiti and employing Molotov cocktails at the dealership from January 29 to February 24. The phrase “Nazi cars” was spray-painted on the building along with a message seemingly aimed at Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Nelson, a man identifying as a transgender woman, is facing a single federal
charge of malicious destruction of property, which carries a minimum five-year prison sentence upon conviction.
Loveland police have
clarified that the events of March 7 do not appear to be related to Nelson, who was taken into custody on February 24 after being confronted by officers at the dealership. Inside Nelson’s vehicle, police found a container of gasoline, along with materials resembling those used in the previous attacks.
The assaults on Tesla properties in Loveland are part of a broader trend of incidents targeting Tesla vehicles, showrooms, and charging stations throughout the United States.
In recent months, various protests have taken place at multiple Tesla locations in response to job cuts and budget reductions enacted by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Alongside these demonstrations, reports of vandalism have surged.
On March 3, seven Tesla charging stations at a mall near Boston were set ablaze. Three days later, on March 6, police in Oregon reacted to reports of gunfire at a Tesla showroom in Tigard, a suburb south of Portland. Investigators
found that at least seven shots had been fired, causing damage to three vehicles, shattering windows, and damaging a wall and a computer monitor.
“While the motivation for this has yet to be confirmed, we are aware that other Tesla dealerships have faced similar targeting across Oregon and the country for political reasons,” Tigard police stated in a release on March 6.
More recently, in Seattle, both police and fire departments have
responded to several incidents involving Tesla vehicles being set alight, including an incident on March 9 that damaged four Tesla Cybertrucks parked in an electric vehicle storage lot.
In light of the escalating attacks, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice has initiated an investigation to determine if any organized groups are financing the assaults.
“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, or do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi stated during an interview on Fox Business Networks’ “Mornings with Maria” on Friday.
President Donald Trump has also expressed his support for Musk amid these tumultuous events. In a show of solidarity, Trump evaluated several Tesla vehicles brought to the White House and picked one to purchase.
Furthermore, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)
declared on March 12 that Congress will initiate an investigation into these incidents, labeling the assaults on Tesla vehicles and their owners as domestic terrorism.
