As Las Vegas police said Wednesday that no arrests had been made in the fires that torched several Teslas the day before, some owners of the popular electric vehicles said they were worried about possible acts of vandalism to their cars.
Anthony Buckner of Las Vegas bought his Tesla sedan in 2023. Buckner said Wednesday afternoon he’s aware of Tuesday’s fires and gunshots fired at a Tesla service center in southwest Las Vegas.
The incident, along with other recent Tesla vandalism cases, garnered national interest — and it has changed his mindset about owning a Tesla.
“I’ll be honest, it’s kind of frightening that this is something I have to keep on my radar now,” Buckner said while charging his Model 3 near Las Vegas Boulevard and Sunset Road. “I am considering just trading it in.”
As of late Wednesday, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said nobody had been taken into custody in relation to Tuesday’s incident, which police have said at least bears resemblance to terrorism.
Buckner, along with several other Tesla owners Wednesday afternoon, offered thoughts about what it means to drive a Tesla in today’s politically-charged environment.
‘Quite a few people have actually flipped me off’
Buckner said he’s encountered people who have been aggressive towards him while he’s behind the wheel. That’s only started to happen in the past couple of months, he said.
“I’ve had people flip me off and brake-check me,” Buckner said. “Quite a few people have actually flipped me off. At first, I wondered whether it was because of the way I was driving.”
Somewhat exasperated, Buckner said he recently pulled up next to a driver who had flipped him off at a stop light.
“I just asked them, ‘Hey, what did I do?’” Buckner said.
The person’s response was a four-letter expletive, followed by the name Elon Musk, Buckner said. Musk is the billionaire CEO of Tesla. He’s also the point man for the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
The department’s stated goal is to trim federal spending. Its recommendations have spurred recent layoffs and closure announcements across the federal workforce during what have been a controversial first few weeks of the second Trump presidency.
Though he has been in the public eye in America for years, Musk’s support of President Trump in the lead-up to November’s election, and his stance on cuts to various government programs, has made him a political lightning rod.
“When people flip me off, I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I don’t like the guy either,’” Buckner said. “It is a good car. I like the product and I’d like to get another one at some point. I mean, (Musk) isn’t the designer, he’s just the face of the brand. He just bought something that was already successful.”
‘Hallmarks’ of terrorism
Video footage provided by Metro showed that around 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, a person dressed in black damaged at least five Teslas in the parking lot of a Tesla service center at 6260 Badura Ave., near Jones Boulevard and the 215 Beltway.
According to police, the person responsible for the attack used multiple incendiary devices to set the Teslas on fire. One of the devices was found unexploded in a car.
During a news conference Tuesday, authorities said the damage at the Tesla service center — including cars set ablaze and the word “Resist” graffitied on the front doors — had “some of the hallmarks” of terrorism.
“This was a targeted attack against a Tesla facility,” Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at the conference.
Metro, he said, was increasing its presence at Tesla-related locations in the valley as a precaution.
As Buckner’s car charged Wednesday, a Metro officer pulled up next to the charging station, situated at the north end of the Town Square Las Vegas shopping center.
The officer walked by each charging stall, seemingly checking for any irregularities.
Nearby, Sean Harrington, a New York native who recently moved to Las Vegas, waited for his Model 3 to charge. Harrington, who bought the car when he moved here about three months ago, hasn’t encountered any Tesla hate.
“I think that’s all a little bit overblown,” Harrington said. “I know that nobody in my personal life is antagonizing me about driving this vehicle. I think, out here in the real world, people are just keeping it to themselves. It just hasn’t been a thought for me.”
‘I try to not connect it to the political side of things’
On the Strip, about a half-dozen Tesla drivers were seen charging their vehicles at the station next to the High Roller late Wednesday afternoon. That group included Kim Kiana, who drives a Model Y.
“We saw what happened (on Tuesday) and my husband was concerned about it,” Kiana said. “I know something might happen, but I’m not really thinking about it.”
Like Buckner, Kiana said she likes the vehicle that she purchased. Perhaps the biggest issue for some Tesla owners might be the political baggage that now comes with the vehicles.
“If I had it to do over, I would have to think about buying a Tesla,” she said. “I do like the product. I try to not connect it to the political side of things. I’m not sure what I would do.”
On a visit to Las Vegas from Santa Monica, Harry Kim, a Model Y owner, said he and his family have not had any brushes with Tesla detractors.
“I haven’t been in any situations where driving a Tesla has been bad for me,” Kim said. “I saw the pictures of what happened (on Tuesday), so maybe we have to be more careful now.”
The Clark County Fire Department and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force joined the investigation following the incident. According to Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas field office, agents arrived at the scene early Tuesday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement “regarding a spate of recent attacks on Tesla property” on Tuesday.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” Bondi said in the statement.
‘Just a product’
Victor Botnari, 37, a resident of the Spring Valley area, called the arson acts “scary,” adding that he refrained from driving his Cybertruck to work the following morning.
“I don’t know what will happen in the future, but this is not a good thing,” Botnari said. “People want to express their frustrations and choose to take it out on cars, but this is just a product. (Musk’s) political affiliations are entirely unrelated.”
Meanwhile, the charred vehicles and those left unsinged had been removed from the Tesla service center parking lot by noon Wednesday. The property’s front door, still encircled by yellow police tape, appeared to have been replaced or cleaned and was now free of defacement.
For Buckner, he’s also considered an attempt to remove any Tesla logo markings from the outside of his car. Perhaps that might make him less of a target, he said.
“I don’t know if that would help,” said Buckner, who paused before finishing his thought. “These are pretty recognizable cars, anyway. I would say, unless it gets to a point where my safety is at risk, I’ll probably keep this car.”
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com
