LACEY, Wash. — Federal authorities have joined Lacey police in investigating what they’re calling a “criminal attack” on a Tesla charging station and are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect.
“The preliminary investigation gave officers reason to believe that this was most likely an intentional criminal act and not an accident or malfunction,” said Lacey Police Chief Robert Almada.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Law enforcement investigating damage to Tesla charging station in Washington state
Suspect Description
The FBI has released a “Seeking Information” poster with photos and videos of the suspect, described as:
A white male between 5’10” and 6’2″Wearing a dark jacket and face coveringCarrying a white bagHaving a distinctive gait with a slight limp to the right leg
Authorities believe the suspect may have sustained injuries such as burns or shrapnel cuts from the explosion. He was last seen heading southbound on the Chehalis Trail.
Witness Vehicle Sought
Investigators are also looking for a 2016 to 2019 gray Tesla Model X that was at the charging station during the incident.
“This vehicle is not believed to be involved in the incident but will be a potential witness to the events that evening and could have important evidence,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Harrington of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.
The FBI is seeking photos or videos captured between late evening on April 7 and early morning on April 8 in the area of the South Sound Center, including nearby trails.
Terrorism Concerns
The FBI is treating the incident “as if it were a domestic terrorism incident,” though investigators have not yet determined a motive.
“If it is a terroristic motivation, then we would expect somebody to potentially do this again,” Harrington said. “In this case, it was property damage. What we would really hate to see is if somebody were injured or even killed in one of these incidents if it were to continue.”
Jonathan Blaze, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Seattle Field Division, noted that his agency has worked with partners to investigate multiple attacks against Tesla facilities and vehicles in both Washington and Oregon this year.
The explosion damaged a transformer box and one charging station bay. Tesla has since repaired the facility.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Lacey Police Department.
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