Minnesota state employee allegedly caused $20K in damage vandalizing Teslas
A recent incident in Minnesota has brought attention to the issue of vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles, with a state employee being arrested for allegedly causing damage to multiple cars. Dylan Bryan Adams, a 33-year-old fiscal policy analyst for the state, was caught on vehicle surveillance keying Teslas in Minneapolis while out walking his dog.
The surveillance footage showed Adams approaching Tesla vehicles with his dog and using his keys to scratch the cars, causing significant damage estimated at around $20,000. The same dog appeared in each video, linking Adams to the vandalism. In other footage, a man believed to be Adams was seen aggressively carving into two separate Teslas.
Adams, who works for the Department of Human Services in Minnesota, is not a political appointee in Governor Tim Walz’s administration. The governor’s office confirmed that Adams is one of over 40,000 state employees and that his charges are pending.
This incident comes on the heels of Governor Walz making a controversial statement about Tesla’s falling stock price, which he said gave him “a little boost during the day.” The governor’s comments were made at a rally in Wisconsin, where he joked about the stock price and later attempted to walk back his remarks.
The FBI has recently launched a task force to investigate attacks on Teslas as potential acts of “domestic terrorism.” There has been a surge in incidents targeting the electric car company, with vandals setting fire to cars, dealerships, and charging stations in protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s ties to former President Trump’s administration.
Musk has defended Tesla as a peaceful company that has produced great products, emphasizing that the attacks are unjustified. The issue of vandalism against Teslas has raised concerns about the safety and security of electric vehicles and the impact of political tensions on businesses in the automotive industry.
