Judge Releases Suspect Charged In Tesla Incident

In a case that is drawing national attention, Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old Missouri man accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership, has been released from federal custody in a rare judicial move — not because the charges were dropped, but because of what his defense described as urgent, ongoing medical needs, including gender-affirming care.

McIntire, a physics student at the University of Massachusetts, allegedly set fire to multiple Tesla Cybertrucks at a Kansas City dealership on the night of March 17. According to surveillance footage and witness testimony, he threw a Molotov cocktail at one of the vehicles just before 11:15 p.m. Police were on the scene within minutes, but not before the flames spread, damaging two vehicles and a pair of charging stations. A failed incendiary device — a vinegar bottle with a charred rag — was also recovered.

Judges are deliberately supporting terrorists, aiding illegals in evasion of ICE, and attempting to seize control of the armed forces this week - and we're still pretending "the rule of law" exists? We'd be better off if all of these judges were in prison. https://t.co/Rg49tVBPsr

— Vagrant of Rhodes ️️ (@vagrantwires) May 1, 2025

Federal investigators built a substantial case using surveillance footage, witness descriptions, GPS data, badge activity from UMass, and even airport footage. A DNA match to a wide-brimmed hat found near the scene sealed their identification. On the strength of this evidence, McIntire was arrested on campus and charged with:

• Unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device

• Malicious damage by fire of property used in interstate commerce

These charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The attack, part of a series of similar incidents across the country, prompted the Trump administration to label such acts domestic terrorism, citing escalating hostility toward Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his role in the current administration.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica Hedges granted McIntire pretrial release on April 24. The decision hinged largely on his attorneys’ arguments that incarceration would interrupt critical medical treatment, including gender-affirming care begun just before the attack, as well as therapy and medications for autism, ADHD, and depression.

Defense attorneys argued that the federal system is ill-equipped to provide consistent care for someone with McIntire’s complex medical and psychological profile. They added that McIntire, who has no prior criminal history, posed minimal flight risk and had strong family ties in the Kansas City area.

He has been ordered to:

• Reside with his parents in Parkville, Missouri

• Comply with mental health treatment

• Take all prescribed medications

• Avoid all Tesla properties

• Remain under home confinement with electronic monitoring

McIntire’s release has provoked strong reactions. Supporters of criminal justice reform may view it as an appropriate accommodation for a defendant with significant health needs, but critics are likely to question the leniency in a case involving politically charged property destruction labeled as terrorism.