Tesla Cybertruck vandalized with swastika in NYC: Police
Police in New York are searching for two individuals who were caught on video surveillance vandalizing a Tesla Cybertruck in Brooklyn.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, two unidentified suspects "carved the word 'Nazis' and a swastika on the doors of a parked unoccupied Tesla," the New York Police Department said. The incident, which occurred in front of 730 Monroe Street in Brooklyn, was captured on video surveillance.
After vandalizing the vehicle, the suspects "fled on foot in an unknown direction," police said.
The incident is being investigated by the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force, police said. Officials said anyone with more information regarding the vandalism is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
Recent attacks aimed at Tesla dealerships, vehicles and charging stations have been reported in Seattle; Kansas City, Missouri; and Charleston, South Carolina, as well as other cities across the United States since Tesla CEO Elon Musk began his role with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
A man was arrested this week for allegedly setting Tesla vehicles on fire in Las Vegas earlier this month and is facing federal charges in the alleged Molotov cocktail attack.
On Monday, the FBI announced the establishment of a task force to address the incidents targeting Teslas.
"The FBI will be relentless in its mission to protect the American people. Acts of violence, vandalism, and domestic terrorism — like the recent Tesla attacks — will be pursued with the full force of the law," the FBI said in a statement to ABC News.
Lone offenders appear to be the ones carrying out these attacks, according to an FBI and Department of Homeland Security assessment obtained by ABC News on March 21.
"While they may perceive these attacks as victimless property crimes, these tactics can cause accidental or intentional bodily harm," the assessment said. "Some individuals with political or social goals are likely to view the publicity surrounding these past incidents as validation that these tactics are successful in drawing public attention, and they may be galvanized to engage in similar violence."
ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.
