Two men in Colorado face federal charges after a series of destructive attacks on a Tesla dealership in Loveland that involved incendiary devices, Molotov cocktails and acts of vandalism.

Cooper Jo Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, was arrested on March 14, after an investigation into multiple attacks on the Loveland Tesla dealership at 1606 N. Lincoln Avenue. The charges against him: the use of explosives or incendiary devices during a felony, possession of such devices, second-degree arson and criminal mischief.

Frederick’s arrest comes after a March 7 incident, where he is accused of igniting an incendiary device and hurling it at the dealership, narrowly missing several parked vehicles. The device landed between two cars, creating a fire that put lives at risk, Loveland police said. An officer on the scene was able to extinguish the flames before any serious injuries occurred. Rocks were also thrown damaging both the building and multiple vehicles.

This wasn’t an isolated event, police said. Over the last two months, Frederick had targeted the Tesla dealership multiple times.

But Frederick isn’t the only one facing charges. A second individual, Lucy Grace Nelson, a 42-year-old transgender woman who also goes by Justin Thomas Nelson, is facing charges for separate acts of violence at the same location. Nelson’s criminal spree started on Feb. 11 when Nelson was allegedly caught spray-painting “Nazi cars” on the Tesla building’s front windows, using a vulgar expletive, police said.

On Feb. 24, police said they found Nelson’s car packed with gasoline, Molotov cocktail materials, and wick material, mirroring evidence found from earlier incidents. Nelson was charged with malicious destruction of property and was released on a personal recognizance bond from federal charges.

In an interview concerning Nelson’s federal release, Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said, “I couldn’t be more disappointed with a criminal justice system that would release an individual on a PR bond who placed incendiary devices at a Loveland business. This decision is not just troubling for our community but reflects a broader problem faced nationwide. It’s incredibly challenging to keep our citizens safe from copycat behavior when there are no repercussions to lawlessness.”

The pattern of violent behavior has raised alarm among federal authorities, who are calling it more than just a series of isolated acts of vandalism. There has been a clear uptick in Tesla attacks in the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Tesla owner Elon Musk to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency, according to the Associated Press.

“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement Tuesday. “The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences.

“We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

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