Woman charged with vandalizing, attempting to bomb Tesla dealership

On February 26, Colorado’s Loveland Police Department (LPD) announced the arrest of a woman accused of vandalizing the Loveland Tesla auto dealership.  The woman arrested, identified as 40-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson, aka Justin Thomas Ne, was also accused of trying to set off bombs at the dealership. The arrest went down on February 24, just before midnight.

Police say that her arrest was based on probable cause obtained through an extensive investigation which started January 29. During the course of their investigation, police reported that the Loveland Tesla dealership had been vandalized on several occasions, with incendiary devices discovered on the scene.

On February 7 around 7 a.m., officers were dispatched to a report of an attempted arson at the local Tesla dealership. A preliminary investigation indicates the attempted arson took place shortly after midnight. In addition, various vehicles and the Tesla building were vandalized with graffiti, some of which were offensive and hateful in nature.

On Monday evening, February 24, police say that Nelson returned to the Loveland Tesla dealership while in possession of additional incendiary devices, along with materials attributed to vandalism. Detectives arrested Nelson on the scene that night before she could do any further damage.

She was booked into the Larimer County Jail on the following charges:

• CRS 18-12-109(4) Explosives or Incendiary Devices Use During Felony, Class 2 Felony
• CRS 18-4-501(1)(4)(d) Criminal Mischief $2,000 < $5,000 Business, Class 6 Felony
• CRS 18-2-101(4) Criminal Attempt to Commit Class 3 Felony, Class 4 Felony

UPI News shared that the motive behind Nelson’s alleged attacks on the dealership comes at a time when the Tesla Corporation has become a target for public anger since its chief executive officer, Elon Musk, has joined the Trump administration.

Tasked with cutting wasteful spending from the federal government, Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency has sought to cancel billions in programs and fire thousands of federal employees, which has attracted growing criticism and several lawsuits. 

Among the incidents include Tesla chargers being vandalized with Nazi swastikas, as Musk has been accused of giving a Nazi salute during President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The world’s richest man has denied the accusation.

CNN reports that if Nelson is convicted on the federal charge of malicious destruction of property, that she could be looking at up to 20 years in prison. Following her arrest and being charged, she was booked on a $100,000 cash surety bond.

For more on Lucy Grace Nelson being arrested in connection with the vandalism and attempted bombing at the Tesla dealership in Loveland, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source: Loveland Police Department)
(Lucy Grace Nelson booking photo, Image credit: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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