A Las Vegas man has been arrested on state and federal charges in connection with the Molotov cocktail attack on Tesla vehicles at a collision center in the city.
Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was taken into custody on Wednesday, a little over a week after the incident, which occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m. on March 18 at Tesla Collision on West Badura Avenue.
Authorities say Kim’s actions were part of a larger wave of vandalism targeting Tesla locations nationwide. The attacks have been linked to CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative, which aims to reduce federal spending and workforce numbers. The FBI has classified these incidents as domestic terrorism and has launched a task force to investigate similar attacks.
During the Las Vegas attack, at least five Tesla vehicles were damaged by firebombs and gunfire. Investigators identified Kim as the suspect through surveillance footage capturing a Hyundai vehicle near the scene, bullet fragments, and cell phone tower data. Additional evidence revealed that just hours after the attack, Kim filed an insurance claim stating his car was stolen and then recovered with slashed tires. However, local police reported that Kim did not file the report with law enforcement.
Kim was arrested in connection with the Las Vegas incident just two days after a police bomb squad in Austin, Texas, discovered multiple incendiary devices at a Tesla showroom. At the time of his arrest, he had a flight booked from Las Vegas to Milwaukee, raising concerns about a potential attempt to flee.
A search of Kim’s residence uncovered a black backpack with pink paint, a black hoodie, face masks, ammunition, holsters, gun parts, an AR-style rifle, an AK-style rifle, and a handgun. Authorities also discovered a handwritten note that outlined an escape route from the Tesla facility on Badura Avenue.
Federal prosecutors in Las Vegas have charged Kim with unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and arson. His arrest follows a growing pattern of attacks on Tesla facilities, with at least 80 reported cases of vandalism and arson across the United States and Canada.
In response to Kim’s arrest, Musk suggested that media narratives played a role in inciting such acts, linking them to broader concerns about misinformation and targeted violence.
