Police chief rips suspect’s release after another – Business News
A Colorado police chief blasted the release of a suspect on bond who allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at vehicles and spray-painted “Nazi cars” at a Tesla dealership — after yet another arson incident broke out at the same business.
Just after midnight on Friday, Loveland police officers responded to an arson call at the local Tesla dealership, where they found an incendiary device between two cars on the property had caught fire and put “several occupants inside Tesla at risk,” according to the police department.
The scene smelled strongly of gasoline, and several vehicles were damaged by what appeared to be thrown rocks, officers said.
Lucy Grace Nelson was arrested last month in connection to four incidents of vandalism and explosive device use. AP
“It’s incredibly challenging to keep our citizens safe from copycat behavior when there are no repercussions to lawlessness,” Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said, according to a press release.
Lucy Grace Nelson, 40, who formerly identified as Justin Thomas Nelson, was arrested last month in connection to four incidents of vandalism and explosive device use at the Tesla dealership.
She was booked into jail with a $100,000 cash bond and released the next day, according to Chris Padgett, the police department’s information officer.
“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,” Doran added.
“This decision is not just troubling for our community but reflects a broader problem faced nationwide,” he said.
The latest arson incident on Friday did not immediately appear to be directly connected to Nelson’s release, according to officers.
Several Tesla showrooms have been subject to protests as founder Elon Musk has grown closer to President Trump and the government, as the face of DOGE. Christopher Sadowski
Loveland’s criminal investigation team is gathering evidence from the incident, along with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Tesla dealership had been vandalized and explosive devices had been found on the scene three separate times starting in January before officers arrested Nelson on Feb. 24, according to the police department.
Officers said they had caught her at the local Tesla dealer with explosive devices and vandalism materials late at night.
At least four cars worth a combined $220,000 had explosive devices thrown at them, which were made from empty liquor bottles, according to the arrest affidavit.
There have been demonstrations at more than 100 Tesla dealerships, according to the organizer of #TeslaTakedown. Getty Images
Police officers said they found cans of spray paint, gasoline, empty bottles and pieces of cloth potentially soaked with accelerant in Nelson’s car.
The department is investigating the possibility that another person was involved in the repeated vandalism, Padgett previously told The Post.
Officials are investigating Nelson’s motive, but protesting Tesla owner Elon Musk is “a reasonable suspicion,” the information officer previously told The Post.
The Loveland Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for updates on the investigation.
Loveland’s criminal investigation team is gathering evidence from the latest incident. KDVR
Several Tesla showrooms across the country have been subject to protests and some Tesla car owners have reported their vehicles being vandalized as left-leaning demonstrators denounce Musk’s close relationship to President Trump and the government, as the face of its cost-cutting task force DOGE.
A movement called #TeslaTakedown, which has its own website, urges shareholders to dump their Tesla shares and for car owners to sell their vehicles.
The website’s organizer, “Bill & Ted” actor Alex Winter, said in a Rolling Stone op-ed that there have been demonstrations at more than 100 Tesla dealerships.
