Overview
- Surveillance video shows a man spray-painting Teslas in parking garages at a plaza near Michelson Drive and Carlson Avenue, with officers saying a clip from last Friday captured four damaged cars and a later clip showed nine more for a total of 13.
- Irvine police described the suspect as a man in his 20s or 30s with a possible tattoo above his right elbow who wore similar shoes across incidents and tried to cover his face on camera.
- Red paint was used to write words including “Nazi” and “Fascist” on the vehicles, and police say motive is under investigation though the attacks appear to specifically target Teslas.
- The department has increased patrols, released still images and video to the public, and asked anyone with tips to contact Detective Noelle at BNoelle@cityofirvine.org.
- Owners said the spray paint left some cars undrivable until cleaned by professionals, and investigators used Tesla onboard cameras plus garage security footage to identify the suspect and timeline of events.