An Oregon man accused of trying to destroy his property twice from January at a Tesla dealer in Salem, according to court documents obtained by Nexstar’s Koin-TV in Portland.
Adam Matthew Lanski, 41, was arrested Tuesday after authorities tied him to reports that someone had thrown Molotov cocktails and shot dealers twice separately.
According to court documents, the first case on January 20th included Molotov cocktails.
“Subjects walked between the building and the vehicle parked in front of it, pulling out bags and illuminating things over the fire,” court documents said. “Subjects threw an object into a red Tesla SUV parked in front of the building, which began to grab the fire and threw things through the showroom window.
A month later, on February 19, authorities received reports that someone had caused damage by firing bullets at the building and vehicle. Court documents say the suspect was apparently carrying an AR-15-style rifle equipped with a suppressor.
A Molotov cocktail seized by authorities on the northeast corner of Tesla’s parking lot. (US District Court – Oregon District) Molotov cocktail seized by authorities on the northeast corner of Tesla’s parking lot. (US District Court – Oregon District) (US District Court – Oregon District) (US District Court – Oregon District Court – Oregon District) Authorities are investigating possible arson at a Tesla dealer in Salem in 2025.
Police said no suspects were found on either occasion.
Investigators later said that Lancesky could be spotted in surveillance footage throwing a Molotov cocktail that “attacked the dealer building and several vehicles” in January, allowing him to see his car parked near the dealer during the second attack in February.
Lansky, a Salem resident, has been charged with criminal charges in federal court for illegally owning an unregistered destructive device.
He will remain in custody until his next appearance in court. Other details were not available immediately.
Tesla dealers across the US became the site for protest rally this weekend amid backlash against automaker billionaire CEO Elon Musk and his push to cut government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump. However, authorities accused of destroying another Tesla dealer in Colorado with a burning Cen device in January and February. The suspect, in that particular case, sprayed the word “Nazi car” into the building, the Associated Press reported.
The incident comes amid growing concerns expressed by Democrats and Republicans about the impact of masks on President Donald Trump’s administration, and accusations that Musk made a gesture compared to a Nazi salute on Trump’s inauguration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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