Suspect Arrested in Attacks on New Mexico G.O.P. Office and a Tesla Dealer
An Albuquerque man was arrested on Monday in connection with the fire bombings of the Republican Party of New Mexico's headquarters in March and a Tesla dealership in February, attacks that the federal authorities have designated as 'domestic terrorism.'
The suspect, Jamison Wagner, 40, had parked his white Hyundai sedan at both locations before the arson attacks and then drove away, according to security and traffic camera images released by the Justice Department.
Federal prosecutors said that surveillance footage from the Tesla showroom near Albuquerque on Feb. 9 showed him carrying a box of supplies that he used to spray-paint graffiti on the building and several vehicles. Investigators said that he had scrawled the phrases 'Die Elon,' 'Tesla Nazi Inc' and 'Die Tesla Nazi,' references to the company's billionaire founder, Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration's cost-cutting program. Mr. Wagner was then observed breaking some car windows and throwing an incendiary device inside one of them, destroying it, a criminal complaint said.
Several weeks after that arson attack, the authorities said, Mr. Wagner struck again, torching the lobby of the Republican Party of New Mexico's headquarters during the early morning hours of March 30.
Investigators say that he left behind critical evidence each time, connecting him to both crimes: lids from a jar of Smucker's jelly and a container of olives that they said he had filled with gasoline. Both lids had the letter 'H' or 'I' written on them with what appeared to be a marker, photographs showed.
'Hurling firebombs is not political protest,' Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, said in a statement on Monday. 'It is a dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent.'
A federal public defender for Mr. Wagner, who remains in custody, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Mr. Wagner was charged with two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives, according to court records. He could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
According to the Justice Department, Mr. Wagner was seen in security camera footage carrying out the arson attack at the Tesla dealership and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. At one point, investigators said, his hood fell back, giving them a better look at him.
During a search of Mr. Wagner's home on Friday, the authorities said, a black hoodie with red spray paint was found on it. A stencil with the letters 'ICE = KKK,' which had been painted on the Republican Party headquarters, was also found, along with a box containing empty jars like the ones that were found at both crime scenes.
Federal authorities said that his arrest underscored a push to crack down on what the Justice Department calls 'domestic terrorism,' including vandalism and acts of violence targeting the president's political and corporate allies. Much of that ire has been directed at Mr. Musk and his companies, particularly Tesla.
From Oregon to Massachusetts, charging stations have been set ablaze, vehicles scrawled with graffiti and dealership windows shot out.
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