Tesla owner offers $25K reward after Cybertruck defaced, says vandals must face consequences
A California Tesla owner is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a vandal who threw a cement block at his car's windshield and slashed its tires.
"An example does need to be made here," Tesla owner Jason Bedell said Thursday on "Fox & Friends."
"That is one of the reasons why I'm offering such a large cash reward for the person that did this."
Security footage from Bedell's home captured the suspect repeatedly hurling a cement block at his family's Cybertruck and puncturing its tires. He told Fox News Digital that the attack was especially disturbing because his 4-year-old son was asleep inside the house at the time.
Bedell says this isn't the first time he has faced hostility for driving a Tesla.
"When I drive my Teslas around, I get a lot of middle fingers, a lot a thumbs down, a lot of really hard stares," he said, blaming the rise in Tesla-related vandalism on growing anti-Musk sentiment.
"But I'm not going to be scared … I'm going to keep driving my Tesla."
Bedell's case is part of a broader trend of attacks on Tesla vehicles, charging stations, and dealerships. A recent Fox News analysis found at least 50 similar incidents, ranging from minor vandalism like keying and graffiti to more serious crimes such as arson and even an alleged drive-by shooting.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has called the attacks "wide-scale domestic terrorism" and urged authorities to take action.
"The real problem is not the people. It's not like the crazy guy that firebombs a Tesla dealership," Musk told Fox News' Bret Baier.
"It's the people pushing the propaganda that cause that guy to do it. Those are the real villains here."
Last weekend, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Tesla locations worldwide as part of a movement called the "Tesla Takedown." The demonstrations were aimed at Musk's involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal agency that has cut millions in funding for government programs and reduced the number of federal jobs.
Despite reports of rising hostility, Bedell says he never expected to be targeted, especially in his predominantly Democratic neighborhood.
"To be targeting the neighbors in this area just doesn't make any sense to me. A lot of these people are on their side and believe a lot of the same beliefs that they have," he said.
"This isn't an attack against Tesla. This is an attack against their neighbors."
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