Man taken into custody in Odesa for setting fire to car for reward

In Odesa, a man was detained for setting fire to a Tesla car, which he ordered via Telegram for a reward from the customer. The court imposed a pre-trial restraint on him.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The Kyiv District Court of Odesa has imposed a pre-trial restraint on a city resident suspected of setting fire to a Tesla car. The incident occurred on the night of December 14, 2025.

According to the pre-trial investigation, in early December 2025, the man, who was in a difficult financial situation, established contact with an unidentified person via the Telegram messenger. During the correspondence, he was offered a job - to set fire to a car in Odesa for a monetary reward.

Subsequently, the coordinator told the suspect that he needed to set fire to any Tesla car he chose in the city. He was promised USD 700 for completing this task. The man agreed and thus entered into a preliminary conspiracy to intentionally damage someone else's property by arson.

In preparation for the crime, the suspect bought a gasoline can at a gas station in Odesa and poured some of the fuel into a mineral water bottle.

On the night of December 14, at about 01:20, he arrived at the yard of a residential building in Odesa. There, the man chose a white Tesla Model 3 belonging to a local resident. The suspect poured gasoline on the hood of the car and set it on fire with a lighter.

When the flames broke out, the man filmed a video on his cell phone and sent it to the coordinator in Telegram as a confirmation of the task and to receive the promised reward. After that, he left the scene.

On the same day, the suspect was detained and notified of suspicion of intentional damage to another's property by arson, committed by prior conspiracy.

In court, the prosecutor insisted on detention, pointing to the gravity of the crime and the risk of its recurrence. The defense requested house arrest, citing the man's permanent place of residence. The suspect himself also admitted the suspicion and asked not to be isolated.

The court, however, concluded that the lack of work and selfish motive may indicate a risk of reoffending. As a result, the man was taken into custody in the Odesa pre-trial detention center until February 10, 2026. At the same time, the court set an alternative bail in the amount of UAH 242,240.

In early December, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa announced the verdict in the case of 19-year-old Serhii, an IDP from Kherson. He was found guilty of blowing up a military prosecutor's car in February on Seminarska Street. The defendant fully admitted his guilt. The court sentenced him to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Анна Бальчінос