FBI investigates attempted arson at Tesla dealership in Vallejo, California

The incident occurred around 12:50 am on May 10 at the Tesla dealership located in the 1000 block of Admiral Callaghan Lane. Vallejo police officers responded to the scene and later notified the FBI and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

Sgt. Rashad Hollis told the Vallejo Sun that "the federal partners were called to determine if this incident would be categorized as domestic terrorism." Authorities did not release details about the extent of the damage, but stated that the investigation was ongoing.

The FBI Sacramento Field Office posted a photo on Facebook of federal and local law enforcement officers standing in front of a vandalized black Tesla vehicle, which appears to have at least one shattered window. "Last weeked, the #FBISacramento Evidence Response Team, #ATF, and Vallejo Police Department responded to an attempted arson at a local dealership. Our teams work 24/7 to keep our communities safe and to hold those who cause violence and destruction accountable," the agency wrote on Monday.

The attack follows a string of similar incidents across the country in protest of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's involvement with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly founded agency tasked with reducing government waste, fraud, and abuse. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has classified many of the attacks as "domestic terrorism," and the FBI, at the direction of its new director, Kash Patel, has formed a special task force to investigate such acts.

Several of the recently apprehended suspects accused of committed firebombing attacks and/or shootings face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said there would be no plea negotations. Authorities have not taken a suspect(s) into custody over the Saturday attack, nor has a suspect description been released.

The Vallejo Tesla dealership has been the site of recurring weekly protests that have been going on since President Trump re-entered office. The protests occur on late Satuday mornings, per the outlet.

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to submit tips to tips.fbi.gov.