A Tesla owner whose vehicle was keyed in a parking lot at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is suing for an amount that could replace the entire vehicle more than 10 times over. The lawsuit argues that the alleged vandal not only meant to cause physical damage, but to cause "mental and emotional injury and harm to Tesla vehicle owners" like the plaintiff, WFAA reports. The suspected vandal, 56-year-old Rafael Hernandez, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief after the owner shared video taken by the vehicle's cameras online. Donald Trump Jr. posted a screenshot of the suspect's face on X, saying, "Internet do your thing." That post led to the identification of Hernandez, the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, the owner parked his Tesla Model X at the airport on March 13 and returned three days later to find "a deep engraving or indentation" all along the passenger side. He found video that showed a man with what appeared to be a key in his hand "forcibly pushing up, down, and across the passenger side of the Tesla as he walked by," the lawsuit states. The Tesla owner's attorneys acknowledge that the vehicle isn't worth $1 million, but say they want to send a message with the lawsuit, CBS News reports. "It's a fine line between civility and anarchy," says attorney Majed Nachawati.
"People have the right to purchase whatever vehicle they want, no matter who owns the company, no matter who operates it, and they should be able to do that free from harassment, intimidation, or harm," Nachawati says. The suspect would have been aware that the Tesla owner would "foreseeably and undoubtedly suffer and endure a painful reaction to the damage, particularly in light of the current Tesla Takedown Movement," the lawsuit states. "Such intended consequences have included threats, intimidation, horror, shame, humiliation, stress, agony, and worry." (More Tesla stories.)
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