A 24-year-old man from Fort Collins, Colorado, has been arrested on suspicion of arson and other charges related to a fire at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, following the earlier arrest of a man who claims to be a woman in the case.
The Denver Post reports that Cooper Jo Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was arrested on Thursday in connection with a February 27 fire at the Tesla dealership located in Loveland. Frederick faces five felony charges, including arson, possession of explosives or incendiary devices, using explosives during a felony, criminal mischief, and attempt to commit a felony, according to a news release from the Loveland Police Department on Friday.
As previously reported by Breitbart News, Justin Thomas Nelson, a 40-year-old male who identifies as a transgender woman and uses the name Lucy Grace Nelson, was arrested following “several” instances of vandalism at the Loveland Tesla dealership, leading to “incendiary devices” being found at the scene.
Breitbart News reported:
Nelson, who was identified as a “woman” instead of a biological man by ABC News, NBC News, and CNN, was booked into the Larimer County Jail on charges of explosives or incendiary devices use during felony, criminal mischief, and criminal attempt to commit a Class 3 felony.
Loveland Police added that another alias used by the suspect is “Justin Thomas Nelson.”
Magistrate Jill Sage set Nelson’s bond at $100,000 cash surety, which he posted before being let out of custody, according to NBC.
In February, Nelson was arrested on suspicion of 12 felonies, including two counts of arson, possessing explosives or incendiary devices, and criminal mischief. Nelson was also indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5 on charges of possessing an unregistered firearm and attempting to damage or destroy vehicles used in interstate commerce. His jury trial in U.S. District Court in Denver is scheduled for May 5.
The incidents at the Colorado Tesla store reflect a pattern of similar crimes targeting Tesla locations across the country. Just last week, gunshots shattered the windows of a Tesla dealership in Oregon, following a vehicle being set on fire at the same location on January 20, prompting an ongoing FBI investigation.
The attacks come amidst backlash against Tesla co-founder Elon Musk for his role as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has significantly reduced federal jobs and funding. Earlier this week, anti-Musk protesters in Washington, DC, demanded that he “go back to Africa.”
In response to the violence against Tesla stores, President Trump stated last week that such acts would be classified as domestic terrorism and that perpetrators would “go through hell.”
Read more at the Denver Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
