A college student who is accused of setting fire to two Tesla Cybertrucks in Missouri during spring break has been released from federal custody. His lawyer argued that staying in jail would disrupt his ongoing gender transition treatment.
Owen McIntire, aged 19, has been released on home detention at his parents’ residence in Missouri by a federal court in Massachusetts. He has been instructed by a judge to appear in court on Thursday to respond to the charges brought against him.
McIntire was apprehended in Massachusetts last month and is facing federal charges in Missouri for allegedly using a self-made incendiary device to set fire to the two electric vehicles on March 17. The charges against him include unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and willful damage to property by fire.
The attorney said the Justice Department suggested the alleged attack had “political overtones” but was speculative.
McIntire trained in ballet from ages 8 to 15 but quit during a “difficult period” after being diagnosed with depression, which he manages with medication and therapy, the filing states. Fox News Digital has reached out to McIntire’s attorney.
Agents and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered and analyzed key evidence from the Tesla attack, including Molotov cocktails allegedly used in the arson.
Authorities later found video footage of a person who they believe to be McIntire wearing a large hat, lighting the devices and throwing them at the Cybertrucks before walking away.
Owen McIntire, 19, was granted release into the custody of his parents on April 24. (Justice Department)
Two Tesla charging stations were also damaged by the fire, each with an approximate value of $550.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
