Police said Monday that they were arrested after a video of the virus captured a man keying Tesla in a Costco parking lot. The incident happened on Friday Fox 11 Los Angeles.
“Within 24 hours after the virus vandalism incident reported to the San Jose Police Station, we identified, found, arrested and arrested the person responsible for this felony vandalism,” San Jose Police said in a post on X.
San Jose police have not made the name of the suspect.
In the video, a dark-colored Hyundai SUV was drawn into the car park next to a white Tesla. A white-bearded man wearing an “American” leather jacket with an American eagle behind him left the car and keyed the side of the Tesla.
Videos that earned over 600 views on the X were recorded using the vehicle's Sentry mode. This is a security feature that allows the car's camera to monitor the surroundings when parking.
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An unknown man was caught in a video of him keying a Tesla in a parking lot in San Jose. (@sanjosepd/x)
The second video shows an unidentified person finding and accusing suspects of destroying Tesla. The conflict appears to have happened after the original video went viral online.
In the video, the suspect, who was wearing the same jacket, denied the vandalism and said, “I didn't do that.”
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Protests against vandalism targeting Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Tesla vehicles have skyrocketed across the country in recent weeks. (AP image)
The recorder continued to ask the suspect why he committed this act.
“A good reason for Elon?” the man said. “You're wearing an American T-shirt and driving a Korean car. Why are you locking an American car?”
The suspect then entered his car and escaped.
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Mayor Matt Mahan responded to the incident and said Tesla owners should not be held responsible for what Elon Musk is doing. (KPIX CBS News Bay Area/YouTube)
Seeing the police department's statement regarding X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the post with an American flag emoji.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan also responded to the incident in another post from X.
“Keying in the car is like breaking the clock because you don't like the person who designed it,” Mahan said. “If this crime is politically motivated, our residents cannot be held responsible for Elon Musk's 3,000 miles apart.”
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“This pointless crime and subsequent consequences should serve as clear reminders. It does not justify illegal activities regardless of personal beliefs or frustration,” police said. “I urge everyone to respect everyone and above all, to respect the law.”
While Teslas has become a target for vandalism mass acts, protests against Musk are surged across the country.
