Latest news with #BrooklinePolice
CBS News
04-03-2025
- CBS News
Man accused of tagging Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk stickers in Massachusetts
Brookline police say they have found a man accused of vandalizing Teslas in at least two communities. The suspect was allegedly tagging the vehicles with with Elon Musk stickers. Suspect said it's "free speech" Cellphone video shows the moment a Tesla driver confronted the man who allegedly vandalized his car. "It's my free speech," the man who allegedly placed the stickers said. Police say they are planning to charge him with a crime. His name has not yet been released. "This is clearly not free speech," said Brookline Police Deputy Paul Campbell. "You can say whatever you want, you can post whatever you want on social media. You can't go around damaging other people's property." The Brookline Police Department says this same man has vandalized multiple Teslas in the area. Jillian was the driver of one of those vehicles. She says she was shocked by what happened. "No one's ever you know yelled, you know anything in reference to Tesla or Elon Musk," Jillian said. She was renting the car at the time and was looking for an environmentally friendly option. She says the experience left her feeling shaken. "When I started looking around checking my whereabouts of course I was terrified. It just shocked me," Jillian said. Recent Tesla vandalism reports There have been other reports of vandalism targeting Tesla products in recent weeks. Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed President Donald Trump and is now the head of the president's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In Littleton on Monday, police said seven Tesla charging stations were intentionally set on fire and the incident is being investigated as suspicious. A Massachusetts doctor told WBZ-TV last month he has been threatened because he drives a gold Tesla Cybertruck. Someone put a profane sticker on the vehicle, and when he posted a photo of it on social media the man told police he started getting threats online.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Do you recognize this man? Brookline Police post video of suspect accused of defacing Tesla vehicles
Brookline Police are seeking the public's help in identifying a suspect caught on video who is accused of defacing Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk decals. Police on Tuesday publicly posted a video showing the man, who was riding a bike and wearing a helmet, on social media. The suspect was filmed while riding around on his bike on Sunday afternoon and defacing Tesla vehicles in the Brookline Village area, police said. At least three victims have reported to police that their cars were targeted. 'We are looking to identify this suspect who was seen tagging Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk decals,' police said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday. 'When confronted the suspect claimed he has the right to deface the property of others because it's his 'free speech,'' police said. 'We'd like to speak with the suspect so we can educate him on the difference between 'free speech,' and vandalizing property belonging to others,' police said in another post on Facebook, citing state laws. In the short video shared by police, unidentified bystanders confront the bicyclist, as he circles them on his bike, about his apparent tagging of Tesla vehicles. 'Why do you think you have the right to do that?' one bystander asks the bicyclist. 'It's my free speech,' the suspect replies. 'Free speech? Not on your car. Yeah? That doesn't matter. It's not up to you to decide anything,' the bystander says. 'To do what?' the bicyclist replies. 'To put a sticker on other people's car,' the bystander says. A third voice, that of a woman, is heard in the video saying, 'You ruined my car.' 'Then take it off,' the bicyclist says. 'You guys can get a better car, if you can afford that car,' the bicyclist says to the bystanders. 'It's not up to you to say anything,' the male bystander says. 'Like I said, we have a difference of opinion,' the bicyclist says at the end of the short video. Anyone with information is urged to contact Brookline Police Detective Ryan McCarthy at 617-730-2710 or via email at rmccarthy@ Brookline Police shared their post one day after officials said several Tesla charging stations in Littleton were likely intentionally set on fire. The reported vandalism in Massachusetts comes as demonstrators have gathered outside Tesla stores across the U.S. in recent days to protest the automaker's billionaire leader, Elon Musk, The Associated Press reported. Protesters are targeting Musk over his push to slash government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump. 'We can get back at Elon,' Nathan Phillips, a 58-year-old ecologist from Newton, who was protesting in Boston on Saturday, the Associated Press reported. 'We can impose direct economic damage on Tesla by showing up at showrooms everywhere and boycotting Tesla and telling everyone else to get out, sell your stocks, sell your Teslas,' Phillips told the AP. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
