Colorado
Colorado man suspected in Tesla arson indicted on federal charges
A second Coloradan suspected of trying to set a Loveland Tesla store on fire was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with possessing an unregistered firearm and attempted property destruction.
Cooper Jo Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins was arrested in Plano, Texas, after a grand jury indicted him on two felony counts Thursday, according to court records.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Frederick’s arrest on social media and said there would be “no negotiating” because the case and others like it are a threat to public safety.
“I’ve made it clear: if you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you and put you behind bars,” Bondi said in a video posted on X.
Similar incidents of vandalism and property destruction have been reported throughout the country and world, an apparent backlash to the rising political influence of billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Prosecutors will seek 20 years in prison in the case, Bondi said.
Frederick was arrested on suspicion of arson, possession of explosives and other state felony charges in March after Loveland police say he set a fire outside a Tesla store on March 7 and found an “incendiary device” at the scene.
In a statement, Frederick’s attorneys with Denver law firm Recht Kornfeld said Frederick and his counsel have been in touch with the Department of Justice and have cooperated in getting him to Colorado.
“We are in the process of gathering information and facts, and will rely on the professionalism of the U.S. Attorney in our district to treat Mr. Frederick fairly despite the recent press statements from Washington, D.C.,” Recht Kornfeld attorney Kelly Page said in a statement. “We intend to litigate this case in court, like any other federal criminal matter, and not in the media.”
Frederick is the second person arrested on suspicion of arson and vandalism at the northern Colorado store. Lucy Grace Nelson, 40, of Lyons, faces similar charges in state and federal court.
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Colorado
2 Colorado counties say motor vehicle theft cut in half over last 3 years
After reaching crisis levels in recent years, Adams and Broomfield counties are reporting a sharp decline in motor vehicle thefts.
According to data shared by the Colorado 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the statistics show Adams County has seen a 52% reduction in vehicle thefts, while Broomfield County follows closely with a 47% drop between 2022 and 2025. The DA’s office also shared more specifically that Thornton has recorded a 60% decline in motor vehicle thefts, and Westminster had a 55% decrease.
Both the DA’s office and the Broomfield Police Department credit efforts to crack down on this type of crime, as well as legislative changes with tougher punishments. A new law was passed in 2023, which redefined motor vehicle theft as a felony offense.
Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason explained that stricter consequences can be a stronger deterrent. Broomfield police say they have also started using undercover efforts and other methods to keep motor vehicle thefts down.
“After the law changed, any motor vehicle theft is a felony. Which it should be. If you steal a car, you should be charged with a felony, and that’s what we’ve done,” said Mason. “And consequently thieves know that there will be consequences if you steal a car.”
This data closely follows the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office announcing arrests in a large motor vehicle theft ring where more than 50 suspects were impacted, including in Broomfield.
To keep vehicles safe, Mason recommends drivers always keep their cars locked and, as we get into the colder months, not leave their car running outside unattended.
Colorado
Colorado Youth Outdoors receives 131 acres of donated land
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Youth Outdoors said it has been donated 131 acres of land near its existing facilities in northeast Colorado.
The nonprofit youth organization said Tuesday that the plan is to put the land — which was donated by Chevron — into a conservation easement with the help of Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.
The donated land is located east of US Highway 85 and Weld County Road 114 near the town of Nunn, according to CYO, which said the property will allow it to “further its mission of building adult and child relationships through outdoor recreation.”
CYO said placing the land in a conservation easement, meanwhile, will make sure that it remains both undeveloped and conserved “into perpetuity.”
“This new property will allow CYO’s mission and vision to reach many more Colorado families,” the organization said in a news release.
CYO said the land donation was part of Chevron’s “Comprehensive Wildlife Plan.”
Colorado
Northern Colorado company to build 400-acre rocket testing site in Weld County
A multi-million dollar aerospace company in Northern Colorado, which helps design rocket engines for the military, is expanding its operation in Weld County. Ursa Major, currently located in Berthoud, recently announced they were building a rocket testing pad in Weld County near Briggsdale.
“It is a fascinating process,” said Chris Engdahl, chief safety and risk officer for Ursa Major. “Ursa Major is, I think, the next great aerospace and defense company. And it is right here in Berthoud, Colorado.”
The current rocket testing location is just off Interstate 25. The campus looks like a set of normal office and warehouse structures in the middle of an otherwise empty field, neighbored by a couple of dozen homes from a community nearby. In the field is a stack of cement blocks that surrounds the test location for the rocket motors Ursa Major ultimately sells to companies and even the U.S. military.
“There is nowhere else like it, where we are co-located with build and testing, throughout the day, you can hear rocket engines going off in the background and motors being tested, it is really incredible,” said Bill Murray, cofounder and VP of products and engineering.
CBS News Colorado was taken on a tour of the current facility in Berthoud, but was not permitted to record video of the assembly or testing process. Ursa Major provided a sample video of what tests of their rocket engines look like.
“We have booked over $100 million in contracts this year and we are growing rapidly,” Murray said.
Murray said the company is growing so quickly that they are looking to hire more Coloradans from universities like Colorado State University and the University of Colorado as they prepare to expand their staff and property.
“We just expanded in Briggsdale, Colorado, with a new 400-acre test site to test large rocket motors,” Murray said.
“Think of all the missile systems the Army, the Navy, Marine Corps, the Air Force use. We are the provider for the engines of those technologies,” Engdahl said.
Not only are the rocket engines being developed in Northern Colorado used by the military, but they are also being used by the private sector.
“Our liquid rocket engines are being used on recurring hypersonic test flights,” Murray said.
“I think the whole state of Colorado is very keen on being a leader in aerospace defense,” Engdahl said.
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