San Jose man arrested after viral video shows suspect keying Tesla in Costco parking lot

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A suspect has been arrested after a viral video captured a man keying a Tesla in a Costco parking lot, police said on Monday. The incident happened on Friday, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. 

“Within less than 24 hours of the viral vandalism incident being reported to the San Jose Police Department, we successfully identified, located, and arrested the individual responsible for this act of felony vandalism,” San Jose police said in a post on X.

San Jose police have not released the suspect’s name.

In the video, a dark-colored Hyundai SUV pulled into the parking spot next to the white Tesla. A white-bearded man wearing a “USA” leather jacket with an American eagle on the back exited the car and keyed the side of the Tesla. 

The video, which garnered over 600 views on X, was recorded using the vehicle’s Sentry Mode, a security feature that allows the car’s cameras to monitor its surroundings when parked. 

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An unidentified man was caught on video keying a Tesla in a parking lot in San Jose. (@SanJosePD/X)

A second video also shows an unidentified person finding and accusing the suspect of vandalizing the Tesla. The confrontation 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 Tesla CEO Elon Musk and vandalisms targeting Tesla vehicles have surged across the nation in recent weeks. (AP Images)

The recorder continued to ask the suspect why he committed the act. 

“Just cause of Elon?” the man said. “You’re wearing a USA t-shirt, driving a Korean car. Why would you key an American car?”

The suspect then entered his car and drove away. 

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Mayor Matt Mahan reacted to the incident and said Tesla owners shouldn’t be held accountable for something Elon Musk is doing. (KPIX CBS NEWS BAY AREA/YouTube)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who saw the police department’s statement on X, responded to the post with an American flag emoji. 

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan also reacted to the incident in another post on X.

“Keying a car because you don’t like the person who designed it is like breaking a clock because you don’t like the time it shows,” Mahan said. “If this crime was politically motivated, our residents can’t be held accountable for something Elon Musk is doing 3,000 miles away.”

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“This senseless crime and its subsequent consequences should serve as a clear reminder: no matter one’s personal beliefs or frustrations, they do not justify illegal actions,” the police said. “I urge everyone to respect one another and, above all, to respect the law.”

Teslas have been targets for mass acts of vandalism while protests against Musk are surging across the nation.