Tesla owner in Dallas sues vandal after Model X slashed in airport parking lot

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Tesla camera captures man in Dallas keying car

The victim of a vandalized Tesla is suing the suspect after his Model X was slashed in the Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport parking lot.

A Dallas man whose Tesla Model X was vandalized in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport parking lot is suing the vandal for more than $1 million.

The suspect, Rafael Hernandez, was arrested March 22 on a criminal mischief charge by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office after he was recorded by the Tesla’s built-in cameras striking the left side of the electric-powered vehicle.

The victim, who is choosing to remain anonymous, was traveling when his Tesla was damaged in the airport parking lot. In the footage obtained by Fox, Hernandez can be seen pulling an object out of his pocket and forcing it into the side of the Model X. 

The Tesla owner told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the “motives were wrong, and [Hernandez’s] acts were intentional — it is for a judge and jury to decide, based on the facts, what his punishment should be. I believe strongly that I was targeted because my car is a Tesla. I didn’t even realize that this nationwide Tesla attack was even a thing — until I was thrown into that world. What’s important to me is that it happened, it was intentional, and it was wrong. As a result, I’ve been thrown into a nightmare, and I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

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A man was seen on camera keying a Tesla in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport parking lot. The suspect, Rafael Hernandez, was arrested March 22 on a criminal mischief charge. (Fox News)

Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney representing Hernandez, but he could not be reached for comment. 

The lawsuit filed by the victim outlines “Individual owners of Tesla vehicles, like Plaintiff, are being targeted and victimized by ongoing criminal conduct and action. This has culminated in the ‘Tesla Takedown’ movement, where certain activists are urging consumers to divest from Tesla products and are organizing protests and other activities that are explicitly or implicitly urging physical damage and/or violence against Tesla owners and/or their Tesla vehicles. Plaintiff recently became a target and victim of this criminal conduct and action.”

One outspoken voice of the “Tesla Takedown” movement, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told attendees at a virtual rally earlier this month that the Department of Government Efficiency head and Tesla founder Elon Musk must be “taken down.”

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The victim’s attorney, Majed Nachawati, right, spoke with Fox News Digital about the incident. (Fox News)

On Saturday, demonstrators gathered at more than 500 Tesla locations worldwide in a “Global Day of Action” to protest the Musk-founded car company. 

In an interview, Majed Nachawati, the attorney representing the Dallas-based Tesla owner in the lawsuit, told Fox News Digital that owning a car shouldn’t be political. “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, this is a free country. You’re entitled to drive whatever you want, as long as it’s legal and within the confines of the law, and you should feel safe and secure in doing so, which, in my opinion, is why the authorities on the law enforcement side are taking these cases very seriously.” 

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH THE ATTORNEY:

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Nachawati went on to explain the importance of consequences for those vandalizing the vehicles, saying “It’s a slippery slope, where does it end? Right? Fortunately, you know, my client’s car was keyed. He wasn’t injured himself, and he wasn’t in the vehicle. But others haven’t been so lucky, and so if this continues, you know, it’s a fine line between having a civil society and chaos.”

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FBI Director Kash Patel, who recently launched a task force to crack down on violent attacks against the car brand, warned Tesla dealerships and owners to “exercise vigilance and look out for suspicious activity” ahead of this past weekend’s widespread protests.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office, but they could not be reached for comment.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.