Three Teslas were vandalized at a Florida shopping plaza. Video showed the clues
A 48-year-old man has been arrested after being accused of vandalizing three Tesla vehicles at a local shopping plaza, Bradenton police announced.
Jeffrey Jones faces three counts of felony criminal mischief after police said he caused thousands of dollars in damage to the Tesla cars in the Pinebrook Commons parking lot. The case came amid a rise in nationwide protests and vandalism targeting Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company by people unhappy with his involvement in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Police departments in several states have reported incidents involving graffiti, arson and damage to Tesla showrooms and charging stations. The FBI has formed a task force to investigate anti-Tesla violence and the U.S. Department of Justice has warned that some attacks could carry federal charges.
The charges stem from a March 11 incident in the 4700 block of Cortez Road West. Police said three Tesla owners reported someone had keyed their cars while parked in the plaza.
According to the agency, two of the Teslas were parked next to each other near a restaurant, while the third was on the west side of the parking lot. Police said the damage totaled more than $11,000.
At the time of the incident, police released video showing a man keying a Tesla, along with still images of him walking through the lot in a blue shirt and sitting in a dark-colored Chevrolet, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
Surveillance footage from the plaza showed a black Chevrolet Trax with a rear window sticker circling the lot around 7 p.m., police said. The vehicle paused briefly near the two Teslas before parking farther west in the plaza. A man walked toward the restaurant and returned to the vehicle a few minutes later.
Detectives said they later identified Jones as the owner of a black Trax that matched the one in the video. Police said his appearance also matched an image captured by one of the damaged Teslas’ onboard cameras.
Officers say they arrested Jones at his home Thursday. He declined to speak with investigators, police said.
As of Friday afternoon, Jones remains in the Manatee County Jail with a bond set at $150,000, according to a news release from the Bradenton Police Department.
Police ask anyone with information about the case to contact Detective William Mulligan at William.Mulligan@BradentonPD.com or (941) 932-9313. Anonymous tips can be submitted at ManateeCrimestoppers.com.
