Suspect vandalizes Cybertruck in Novato, owner offers $25K reward
NOVATO, Calif. - Novato police are asking the public for help in identifying a suspect accused of vandalizing a Cybertruck early Saturday morning.
Police said the truck was parked in a private driveway when a suspect, dressed in all black wearing a hoodie and a white face mask, approached, appearing to case the home and surroundings around 4:20 a.m.
The suspect returned around 5:40 a.m. with a concrete rock. Police said the suspect covered one of the truck's cameras with duct tape before vandalizing it.
Police said the suspect threw the rock at the windshield multiple times before slashing the tires.
The suspect then left a handwritten note saying the tires had been damaged on the car.
Saturday's incident comes after a separate recent incident involving another Tesla car, police said, though they did not share information on the other case.
"We want to reassure our community that we are fully committed to investigating these acts," police said.
Jason Bedell, the owner of the Cybertruck, described the neighborhood as a quiet and safe area.
"I live at the top of a hill, at the end of a cul-de-sac. We don't get much traffic at all," he said. "So for somebody to come up here and do something like that is really unusual and very shocking."
Bedell is now offering a $25,000 cash reward for any information that leads to the suspect's arrest.
"To come to my house and plan an attack like that, that person's dangerous and needs to face consequences for what they've done," said Bedell. "I'm a little [shaken] up right now, and I'm concerned that they may possibly come back, and it's not a good feeling, having my family here, my young son."
Bedell believes the vandal is misguided.
"All these people who have frustration against the government and Tesla and DOGE are taking it out on the wrong people," Bedell said. "They're taking it out on their neighbors. They're taking it out on just working people. Most of these people are Democrats that even bought these EV vehicles."
Big picture view
Vandalism tied to Tesla cars is not unheard of lately.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has declared attacks on Tesla cars as "domestic terrorism."
"The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes," Bondi said in a statement.
In San Jose, a man was arrested earlier this month after video captured him allegedly keying a Tesla in a Costco parking lot.
Mayor Matt Mahan also weighed in on the incident, saying, "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. If this crime was politically motivated, our residents can't be held accountable for something Elon Musk is doing 3,000 miles away."
Mahan urged people to "voice our opinions where they matter—at the ballot box, not in a parking lot."
Suspicious devices were found at an Austin Tesla dealership last Monday, prompting the police department's bomb squad to respond.
In Kansas on March 17, a suspected arson attack left two Cybertrucks on fire at a Tesla shop.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters took the streets nationwide in a "global day of action" against Tesla and Elon Musk.
The protests were seen in over 200 cities, including Walnut Creek, Vallejo, Santa Clara and Dublin.
What you can do
Residents living on Jackson, Truman, Brown, Garner, or Washington drives are asked to check their surveillance cameras for any suspicious activity that may have occurred in the area on Saturday from 4-6 a.m.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Novato police at (415) 897-4361 or email at police@novato.org and reference case number NP25-804.
The Source
Novato police, previous KTVU reporting
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