Latest news with #LovelandPoliceDepartment
CNN
01-04-2025
- CNN
Man charged in Colorado Tesla firebomb attack denies trying to ‘run' from feds
A Colorado man facing two federal felony charges for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership denies a suggestion from the US Attorney General that he was trying to 'run' from authorities. Cooper Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempted destruction of property in the March 7 attack on Tesla property in Loveland, Colorado. 'An incendiary device was ignited and thrown at the Tesla building, landing between two vehicles,' the Loveland Police Department said in a news release. 'Several people inside, who were cleaning the building, were put at risk; however, our responding officer quickly extinguished the fire, preventing further harm.' Multiple Tesla locations around the country have been attacked in recent weeks with gunfire and Molotov cocktails, law enforcement agencies report. The Trump administration is calling those incidents 'domestic terrorism' intended to intimidate White House adviser Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Frederick was arrested March 13 on state charges in the Colorado case, charged with multiple felonies and released on bond the following day, Larimer County jail records show. He was arrested March 28 in Plano, Texas, on federal charges. 'Let this be a warning. You can run, but you cannot hide,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video statement posted to X Monday night. Frederick's attorney called Bondi's suggestion that Frederick was on the run a 'material misrepresentation' of the case. 'Mr. Frederick lived in Colorado until March 19 when the decision was made for him to move home to Texas to live with his parents,' attorney Kelly Page told CNN. 'Despite the insinuation by Ms. Bondi that Mr. Frederick fled and was apprehended in Texas, DOJ was notified of this move by counsel, and Mr. Frederick remained fully cooperative with the courts and the investigation until he was arrested on the warrant at his home in Texas.' The Justice Department has mounted a furious response to the attacks on Tesla, launching an FBI task force, promising that attackers would face federal charges and suggesting there would be no plea bargains. 'All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating,' Bondi said Monday. 'We are seeking 20 years in prison.' Frederick has not yet entered a plea in the case and is currently in federal custody without bond. A hearing in the federal case had not yet been set in Colorado as of Tuesday. 'We are still in the process of gathering information and facts about the allegations and will rely on the professionalism of the U.S. Attorney in our district to treat Mr. Frederick fairly despite the recent inflammatory press statements from Washington, D.C.,' Page said. 'We intend to litigate this case in court, like any other federal criminal matter, and not in the media.'
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged in Colorado Tesla firebomb attack denies trying to ‘run' from feds
A Colorado man facing two federal felony charges for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership denies a suggestion from the US Attorney General that he was trying to 'run' from authorities. Cooper Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempted destruction of property in the March 7 attack on Tesla property in Loveland, Colorado. 'An incendiary device was ignited and thrown at the Tesla building, landing between two vehicles,' the Loveland Police Department said in a news release. 'Several people inside, who were cleaning the building, were put at risk; however, our responding officer quickly extinguished the fire, preventing further harm.' Multiple Tesla locations around the country have been attacked in recent weeks with gunfire and Molotov cocktails, law enforcement agencies report. The Trump administration is calling those incidents 'domestic terrorism' intended to intimidate White House adviser Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Frederick was arrested March 13 on state charges in the Colorado case, charged with multiple felonies and released on bond the following day, Larimer County jail records show. He was arrested March 28 in Plano, Texas, on federal charges. 'Let this be a warning. You can run, but you cannot hide,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video statement posted to X Monday night. Frederick's attorney called Bondi's suggestion that Frederick was on the run a 'material misrepresentation' of the case. 'Mr. Frederick lived in Colorado until March 19 when the decision was made for him to move home to Texas to live with his parents,' attorney Kelly Page told CNN. 'Despite the insinuation by Ms. Bondi that Mr. Frederick fled and was apprehended in Texas, DOJ was notified of this move by counsel, and Mr. Frederick remained fully cooperative with the courts and the investigation until he was arrested on the warrant at his home in Texas.' The Justice Department has mounted a furious response to the attacks on Tesla, launching an FBI task force, promising that attackers would face federal charges and suggesting there would be no plea bargains. 'All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating,' Bondi said Monday. 'We are seeking 20 years in prison.' Frederick has not yet entered a plea in the case and is currently in federal custody without bond. A hearing in the federal case had not yet been set in Colorado as of Tuesday. 'We are still in the process of gathering information and facts about the allegations and will rely on the professionalism of the U.S. Attorney in our district to treat Mr. Frederick fairly despite the recent inflammatory press statements from Washington, D.C.,' Page said. 'We intend to litigate this case in court, like any other federal criminal matter, and not in the media.'
CNN
01-04-2025
- CNN
Man charged in Colorado Tesla firebomb attack denies trying to ‘run' from feds
A Colorado man facing two federal felony charges for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership denies a suggestion from the US Attorney General that he was trying to 'run' from authorities. Cooper Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempted destruction of property in the March 7 attack on Tesla property in Loveland, Colorado. 'An incendiary device was ignited and thrown at the Tesla building, landing between two vehicles,' the Loveland Police Department said in a news release. 'Several people inside, who were cleaning the building, were put at risk; however, our responding officer quickly extinguished the fire, preventing further harm.' Multiple Tesla locations around the country have been attacked in recent weeks with gunfire and Molotov cocktails, law enforcement agencies report. The Trump administration is calling those incidents 'domestic terrorism' intended to intimidate White House adviser Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Frederick was arrested March 13 on state charges in the Colorado case, charged with multiple felonies and released on bond the following day, Larimer County jail records show. He was arrested March 28 in Plano, Texas, on federal charges. 'Let this be a warning. You can run, but you cannot hide,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video statement posted to X Monday night. Frederick's attorney called Bondi's suggestion that Frederick was on the run a 'material misrepresentation' of the case. 'Mr. Frederick lived in Colorado until March 19 when the decision was made for him to move home to Texas to live with his parents,' attorney Kelly Page told CNN. 'Despite the insinuation by Ms. Bondi that Mr. Frederick fled and was apprehended in Texas, DOJ was notified of this move by counsel, and Mr. Frederick remained fully cooperative with the courts and the investigation until he was arrested on the warrant at his home in Texas.' The Justice Department has mounted a furious response to the attacks on Tesla, launching an FBI task force, promising that attackers would face federal charges and suggesting there would be no plea bargains. 'All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating,' Bondi said Monday. 'We are seeking 20 years in prison.' Frederick has not yet entered a plea in the case and is currently in federal custody without bond. A hearing in the federal case had not yet been set in Colorado as of Tuesday. 'We are still in the process of gathering information and facts about the allegations and will rely on the professionalism of the U.S. Attorney in our district to treat Mr. Frederick fairly despite the recent inflammatory press statements from Washington, D.C.,' Page said. 'We intend to litigate this case in court, like any other federal criminal matter, and not in the media.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
1 facing federal charges for alleged crimes at Loveland Tesla
DENVER (KDVR) — One person is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to light Molotov cocktails to start a fire at a Loveland Tesla dealership in February. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Thursday that three people are facing federal charges for their alleged involvement in the 'violent destruction of Tesla properties' around the country. The three are accused of using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla vehicles and charging stations. US attorney general labels Tesla vandalism 'domestic terrorism' According to court documents, Lucy Grace Nelson, who was initially charged with malicious destruction of property, was federally indicted on charges of: Possession of an unregistered firearm Possession of unregistered firearms Malicious (attempted) destruction of property According to a release from the Department of Justice, Nelson was arrested in Loveland after allegedly attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails. The DOJ said Nelson was allegedly in possession of materials used to produce more incendiary weapons. The federal complaint accuses Nelson of knowingly and unlawfully possessing a firearm that is a destructive device that was not registered on or around Jan. 29. Then on or around Feb. 7, according to the complaint, Nelson knowingly and unlawfully possessed unregistered firearms that were destructive devices, as well as attempted to use fire and explosive materials to damage and destroy vehicles used in interstate or foreign commerce. Nelson is set for a three-day jury trial beginning May 5 at 9 a.m. Another defendant is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon while armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle. The third defendant is accused of writing profane messages against President Trump near Tesla charging stations in Charleston, South Carolina, before lighting them on fire with Molotov Cocktails. The DOJ said each defendant 'faces serious charges' that carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison. The exact charges were not specified. The Loveland Police Department provided the following statement: 'The Loveland Police Department is so grateful for the collaboration we have had with our federal partners, like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with that of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. To have these criminal acts being taken so seriously is reassuring, as those committing such crimes must be held accountable. The acts which occurred at our Loveland Tesla endangered human beings, not just property, and that is never acceptable. The investigators involved have worked relentlessly to ensure that those committing such crimes were held responsible. We are thankful for the hard work of those involved, the support of our community during this time, and the attention given to this by media sources. Loveland Police Department Bondi described the string of incidents as a 'wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties,' and the DOJ said it is committed to ending acts of violence and arson directed at Tesla properties and otherwise. The Loveland Tesla dealership has been the target of several reported crimes in the last few weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Woman caught trying to plant explosive devices at Tesla dealership
A woman in Colorado has been arrested after police caught her with explosives at a Tesla dealership, police said. The 40-year-old suspect, Lucy Grace Nelson, was arrested on Monday after the Loveland Police Department launched an 'extensive investigation' on Jan. 29 following a series of vandalizations with incendiary devices at the Tesla Dealership in Loveland, Colorado, according to a statement from the police released on Wednesday. MORE: Online content creator arrested after videos surface of her urinating on grocery store products dating back 4 years 'On Monday evening, Nelson returned to Loveland Tesla while in possession of additional incendiary devices, along with materials attributed to vandalism,' the Loveland Police Department said. 'Detectives apprehended Nelson prior to further damage occurring.' Nelson was immediately arrested and booked into the Larimer County Jail after being charged with explosives or incendiary devices use during felony, criminal mischief and criminal attempt to commit a Class 3 felony, authorities said. She was issued with a $100,000 cash surety bond following the charges. MORE: Search for man missing for nearly 2 weeks in national park intensifies 'The Loveland Police Department continues to work closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Denver Field Division, with Federal charges likely to follow,' police said. The investigation is currently open and ongoing. Woman caught trying to plant explosive devices at Tesla dealership originally appeared on
