AG calls Tesla arson in Mesa ‘domestic terrorism,’ announces federal charges
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — A suspect accused of setting a fire at a Tesla dealership in the East Valley this week is facing federal charges, the U.S. attorney general announced on Tuesday, calling the act a case of domestic terrorism.
Ian William Moses, 35, was arrested shortly after a Tesla Cybertruck was set on fire early Monday morning.
Around 2 a.m., multiple firefighters responded to reports of an explosion at the dealership in the area of Southern Avenue and Sossaman Road and found a Cybertruck engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire before it could spread to the vehicle’s battery or into the building, crews also spotted a misspelling of the word “thief” spray-painted on the side of the building.
About an hour later, Mesa police officers saw a suspicious van a quarter mile away from the dealership and reportedly saw someone pull up on a bicycle and open the van’s door. Moses was detained, and police say the Tesla Security Center later provided video evidence that linked him to the crime scene.
Federal officials say some of the video was recorded on surveillance cameras on the outside of the building, while other video was recorded by Tesla vehicles on the property.
According to the federal complaint filed on Tuesday, the videos show a man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt carrying a black backpack and a red plastic container. The man is reportedly seen placing what appears to be fire starter logs next to three areas on the outside wall of the dealership, and then pouring liquid from the plastic container onto the logs, the building wall and nearby Tesla vehicles.
Video then reportedly shows the suspect using a lighter to ignite the starter logs, leading to a fire that engulfed a Cybertruck. The suspect is then seen leaving on a bicycle.
Following his arrest, investigators searched the Chrysler Town & Country van that was registered in Moses’ name. Inside, they reportedly found a backpack containing a black mask, a red plastic gas can, a lighter and a can of black spray paint. Officers also found a hand-drawn map depicting the dealership’s location.
On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi took to X (formerly Twitter), posting the following:
Today we are pleased to announce federal charges against a Tesla attacker in Arizona.
If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.
No negotiating.
Moses was initially booked in Mesa on arson of a structure and property. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) later took Moses into federal custody.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the only federal charge he’s currently facing is malicious damage to a vehicle in interstate commerce by means of fire. If additional charges follow, Moses wouldn’t be the first facing similar charges related to domestic terrorism.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged three people in connection with violent incidents targeting Tesla. The cases have been labeled as “domestic terrorism by the DOJ, and an FBI task force has been created to investigate similar crimes.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
