by In Dallas, someone scratched a Tesla, and the owner caught it on video.
Footage from a Model X sentry camera led to the arrest of the suspect.
Now the owner is filing a $1 million lawsuit as a lesson for potential vandals.
Amid the surge of violence and vandalism against Tesla owners, the phenomenon is reaching record highs. Although some criticism of Elon Musk may be warranted, Tesla owners are now getting caught in the storm caused by the Tesla CEO’s political involvement. This includes Jeff Nguyen, an owner who found his car scratched and used Tesla’s built-in security system ‘Sentry Mode’ to track the culprit. Now, he’s taking this person to court, demanding compensation to the tune of a seven-figure sum.
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“I just bought it because it’s an electric car,” Nguyen said. “This car is very interesting to drive. It absolutely has nothing to do with politics or anything like that.” The car captured the person who left marks on its body. Nguyen posted this video online, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Sentry Mode strikes
If you’re not yet familiar with the Tesla Sentry Mode, here’s the gist: it’s a built-in safety feature that activates the car’s external cameras if potential threats are detected. Essentially, it turns your Tesla into a surveillance system around the clock, recording everything happening around the vehicle when it’s parked. In Nguyen’s case, the system documented the whole scratching incident, providing substantial evidence that helped the police swiftly identify and arrest the suspect.
In truth, Nguyen’s incident highlights a disturbing trend—political hostility spilling into vandalism of personal property. In an interview, he noted that it’s odd for the vandalism of his car to reach the upper echelons of politics.
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“It’s unclear,” Nguyen said. “Someone sent me a post that Donald Trump Jr. reposted it. It’s unclear how something like this could turn into a political thing.” Officers arrested Rafael Hernandez. Majed Nachawati, managing partner at the law firm Nachawati, Nguyen’s attorney, says his client has strong grounds for demanding $1 million in damages.
“We won’t allow people to act based on what they see as their political affiliations, what outrages them, and whom they are outraged at, and allow them to take matters into their own hands essentially to become vigilantes… What does this say about our country?” Nachawati said. “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, I believe anyone who sees the video and the related incident will believe that the main part of this case is deterrence.”
A sign of the times
All this comes as the US administration has classified violent attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and owners’ vehicles as domestic terrorist acts. The FBI has set up a dedicated task force to investigate and prosecute these attacks, which are becoming more frequent and blatant.
If Nguyen successfully obtains a settlement amounting to a seven-figure sum for the car scratching, it may set a significant precedent for future vandalism-related cases. Tesla owners seem to have a bit more protection—and much more legal ammunition—in the future.
