Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old college student accused of setting fire to two Tesla Cybertrucks in Missouri, has been released from federal custody and placed on home detention, Fox News reports.
A federal court in Massachusetts ordered McIntire’s release after his lawyer argued that remaining in jail would disrupt his ongoing gender-affirming medical treatment. McIntire is now required to answer to the charges against him in Missouri.
McIntire was arrested in Massachusetts last month and faces federal charges of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage to property by fire. The charges stem from an alleged incident on March 17, where he is accused of using a homemade incendiary device to ignite two Cybertrucks.
According to court records, McIntire’s federal public defender argued that his client, a student at the University of Massachusetts pursuing a physics degree, has no prior criminal record and has “well-documented medical and mental health needs – including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, depression, and gender dysphoria.”
An April 23 court filing stated:
“He also receives gender-affirming medical care, which began in March of this year and is likely to be interrupted or terminated entirely if he remains in pretrial detention. This care, along with mental health support, is integral to his well-being.”
The attorney also noted that the Justice Department’s suggestion that the alleged attack had “political overtones” was speculative.
The filing further revealed that 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.
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, believed to be McIntire, wearing a large hat, lighting the devices and throwing them at the Cybertrucks before walking away.
Two Tesla charging stations were also damaged in the fire, each valued at approximately $550.
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