FBI investigates Tesla charging station arson near Olympia as 'domestic terrorism' incident

The FBI and Lacey Police Department say they’re treating a fire set to a Tesla charging station outside of Washington's capital as an incident of domestic terrorism.

The investigation comes several weeks after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Department of Justice would pursue federal charges — carrying up to several decades in prison — against anyone who commits Tesla-related vandalism.

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On the morning of April 8, the Lacey Police Department received several reports of an explosion in a commercial district of the city, Police Chief Robert Almada said.

When officers arrived at the South Sound Center, they noticed "significant" damage to a Tesla charging station near a Target store.

"The preliminary investigation gave officers reason to believe that this was most likely an intentional criminal act and not an accident of malfunction," Almada said.

Meanwhile, at least five people have been federally charged in connection with arsons to Tesla vehicles and facilities since March. Recent months have seen an apparent uptick in Tesla vandalism, in large part attributed to the company's CEO and tech billionaire Elon Musk heading President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.

Law enforcement is asking for the public's help to identify a suspect linked to the fire in Lacey.

On Friday, the FBI's Seattle field office released a poster with information about a suspect investigators believe is responsible for causing the damage: a white male standing at between 5'10" and 6'2" tall. The suspect may also have injuries like a concussion or burns caused by the fire.

"We're treating this as if it is — presumptively — domestic terrorism," said FBI Special Agent Mike Herrington. "We don't know the motivation behind this, but if it is a terroristic motivation, then we would expect somebody to potentially do this again."

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Investigators say the suspect also has a "unique" gait. Video taken before the incident shows the suspect walking with a limp, and he holds his right hand behind his back sometimes.

Herrington said investigators haven't ruled out that the suspect acted with an accomplice.

"It's possibly somebody else is involved and could have helped with the preparation of potentially getting the suspect...to and from the location," Herrington said.

Evidence collected from the scene was sent to a forensic laboratory run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for analysis . Investigators have yet to determine how the fire was started.