Authorities in Austin are looking into a series of incendiary devices found at a Tesla dealership in the city’s northern area on Monday, marking the latest incident involving the company led by billionaire Elon Musk. Upon responding to a hazardous materials report, Austin police located the devices and promptly summoned the bomb squad, which safely secured the items without any harm or damage reported, according to a statement provided to The Associated Press.
The investigation remains active, with no additional details currently available for public release, the department added. Acts of vandalism against properties bearing Elon Musk’s electric vehicle brand have been occurring both in the United States and abroad, coinciding with protests nationwide in objection to the billionaire’s collaboration with the Trump administration in reducing federal resources and workforce.
Over the weekend, an individual drove a car into demonstrators outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida, resulting in no injuries but leading to the man’s arrest on an assault charge. In California, a counter-protester was also apprehended on Saturday for using a stun gun during an anti-Musk rally near a Tesla outlet in downtown Berkeley; fortunately, no one sustained injuries.
A 33-year-old suspect was detained pending charges as of Monday. Additional instances of violence directed at Tesla include incidents such as Cybertrucks being set ablaze in Seattle and gunfire directed at a dealership in Oregon. Various Tesla establishments, car lots, charging stations, and privately owned vehicles have all been subject to these targeted attacks.
