Man arrested in connection with Las Vegas Tesla arson facing federal charges
A Las Vegas man accused of setting several cars on fire at a Tesla service center last week has been arrested and faces federal charges.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Paul Hyon Kim, 36, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday, where he faces one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson.
Kim was arrested by Las Vegas police on Wednesday and remains in federal custody, the Justice Department said in a news release.
The DOJ said law enforcement officials executed "various state search warrants related to this case," including a search of Kim's home, where they found "various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18 incident and with a suppressor on it," a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note that appeared to be an escape plan.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in the news release. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”
If convicted, Kim faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to a maximum of 20 years, for the arson charge, according to the DOJ.
Kim accused of using Molotov cocktails, gun to destroy cars
In a statement released on March 18, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said they received several reports of flames at the collision center around 2:45 a.m. local time. When they responded, officers allegedly found the word "RESIST” spray painted in red on the building and several cars on fire.
The department's counter-terrorism detectives responded to the scene, where they learned a person dressed in all black had approached the building wielding what officials believe to have been a gun and multiple Molotov cocktails.
A Molotov cocktail was found unused in a vehicle during the investigation, the department said during a press briefing. Police believe the suspect shot at the cars at least three times in addition to using the improvised explosives to start the fires.
“As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a news release Thursday. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.