Amid the rise of “Tesla Takedown” protests, a Dallas Tesla owner sued a man who allegedly keyed his Model X. The Tesla owner wants $1 million to compensate for damages to his car, lost income, and emotional distress, CBS News reported.
Over the weekend, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police arrested Rafael Hernandez, who has been charged with criminal mischief. His arrest comes after a video went viral of a man, believed to be Hernandez, who appeared to vandalize the Tesla with a key fob.
“It’s just kind of mind-boggling to me that there are people who are so triggered and so disturbed by anything these days that they can go so far as to just cause harm to somebody,” the Tesla owner told CBS News Texas.
Majed Nachawati, a Dallas attorney representing the owner, told CBS News that the lawsuit has “nothing to do with (the Tesla owner’s) political persuasions or affiliations.” The lawsuit only includes the owner’s initials due to concerns about threats.
The vehicle owner’s attorneys said attacking private citizens out of political disagreements is unacceptable, according to CBS. They said the owner wants to send a broader message with the lawsuit and discourage other acts of violence.
The Tesla protests started over people’s frustrations with Elon Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE has slashed federal funding and laid off thousands of federal government employees under the Trump administration, according to the Associated Press. Protesters are boycotting Tesla, which has become a large source of Musk’s wealth. In August, Tesla shareholders approved a $46 billion pay package for Musk, who is also the company’s CEO.
At a town hall event in Wisconsin on Sunday, Musk said the protests against his company have been working.
“What they’re trying to do is put massive pressure on me, and Tesla I guess, to … stop doing this,” said Musk, referring to his job as head of DOGE, according to Bloomberg News. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has (dropped) roughly in half. I mean it’s a big deal.”
Read more at CBS News.
