Cybertruck vandal captured on camera in California, latest in spate of violent Tesla attacks

Los Angeles Times

01-04-2025

Ring camera footage captured the moment a masked vandal threw a rock at the windshield and slashed the tires of a Cybertruck in Novato, one of the latest in a string of nationwide attacks on Tesla vehicles and the second such incident in the small Bay Area city.
The vandal struck around 4:22 a.m. Saturday, appearing to case the truck, which was parked in a private driveway, before returning at 5:41 a.m. to stage an attack, according to the Novato Police Department.
The person covered one surveillance camera with duct tape but was filmed by a separate camera throwing a chunk of concrete at the car multiple times and cutting the tires, police said. The person left a handwritten message warning the driver to replace all tires as the car was unsafe to drive.
The incident was the second recent attack on a Cybertruck in Novato.
The prior Saturday, a different truck was vandalized around midday in a shopping center parking lot, according to Navato Police Sgt. Wes Carroll. The department does not believe the same person is responsible for both incidents, he said.
With Elon Musk's controversial rise to power in the White House and subsequent gutting of government departments, his futuristic vehicles have gone from being largely adored by the left and clean-energy advocates to becoming a political punching bag and target of violence.
In recent weeks, cars have been set ablaze with Molotov cocktails, shot with guns and defaced with spray-paint.
U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi has called these acts of violence and vandalism 'nothing short of domestic terrorism' and threatened harsh consequences.
'The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences,' she said in a statement. 'We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.'
Jason Bedell, who owns the Cybertruck attacked in Novato on Saturday, told local TV station KTVU that he believes the vandal's anger is misdirected.
'All these people who have frustration against the government and Tesla and DOGE are taking it out on the wrong people,' Bedell told the station. 'They're taking it out on their neighbors. They're taking it out on just working people. Most of these people are Democrats that even bought these EV vehicles.'
He is now personally offering a $25,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect, the station reported.
The Novato Police Department is also seeking the public's help in identifying the vandals who targeted the local Cybertrucks and is asking Bedell's neighbors to check their cameras for any suspicious activity or vehicles between 4 and 6 a.m. Saturday.
As of Monday morning, the department was reviewing and following up on tips submitted by the public and had yet to make any arrests in connection with either incident, said Sgt. Carroll.
In the nearby city of San José, a man was arrested March 17 for allegedly keying a Tesla parked in a Costco lot. San José Mayor Matt Mahan criticized the use of vandalism as a tool of political activism.
'If this crime was politically motivated, our residents can't be held accountable for something Elon Musk is doing 3,000 miles away,' he said in a statement on X, urging residents to voice their opinions at the ballot box and not in a parking lot.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning to would-be Tesla attackers after a man threw Molotov cocktails and shot at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas, setting multiple vehicles ablaze.
'Specifically to those who might think that something like this is justifiable or potentially even admirable, we want to let you know it's a federal crime,' said Spencer Evans, FBI special agent in charge of the Las Vegas bureau. 'We will come after you, we will find you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.'
Musk, for his part, called the attacks 'insane and deeply wrong' in a statement on X. 'Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks,' he said.