As protests against Elon Musk’s Tesla brand are sweeping the United States, one California man’s sense of security is left shaken after a masked suspect was caught on camera defacing his family’s Tesla Cybertruck in the driveway of their home last weekend.
Jason Bedell, a 51-year-old working in property management, awoke to shattered glass after what seemed to be a attack turned his Cybertruck into the latest symbol of anti-Musk rhetoric sweeping the country.
“I have a 4-year-old son that was sleeping in the house at the time,” Bedell said. “So, it’s really unsettling that somebody came to my house to do this.”
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Bedell was one of the first people in Novato to buy a Tesla Cybertruck, and the vehicle arrived in February 2024. Bedell bought his first Tesla, a Model S, in 2015 and continues to drive it to this day.
When Musk first introduced the Cybertruck, Bedell fell in love with the unique look and the vehicle’s features.
“I’m just such a fan of Tesla that I had to have one,” Bedell said.
Bedell keeps the vehicle parked in the driveway of his home, where he lives with his wife and son. The house is located in a cul-de-sac with no through traffic, according to Bedell.
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Last weekend, Bedell’s family car turned into a target of a political protest.
“This person made a planned attack and came to my house and executed that plan,” Bedell told Fox News Digital. “That’s basically declaring war on me and my property.”
Bedell was asleep in his Novato home when his security cameras detected a masked intruder in the early hours of Sunday morning. The individual appeared to case Bedell’s home before returning approximately an hour later with a concrete block and duct tape.
“They took one of the pieces of tape and covered up one of the multiple Ring cameras on my property,” Bedell said. “They proceeded over to the Cybertruck, where they went around and quickly slashed all four of the tires. Then they went to the front of the truck, picked up a giant cement brick and threw it two or three times against the front windshield, smashing [it].”
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The suspect quickly ran off, but not before leaving a note on one of the tires that said, “replace all tires, unsafe to drive.”
The masked menace remains on the loose as Novato Police search for the offender in Bedell’s Cybertruck attack and a second suspect in another incident involving a Tesla vehicle, according to authorities.
The Novato Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional information.
The attack comes as anti-Musk protests rock the nation.
For Bedell, the issue isn’t political. It’s personal.
“It’s one thing if they did it to me at the store, at the bank or something like that,” Bedell said. “But to launch a planned attack like this on my property is really scary.“
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The family’s Cybertruck was vandalized during an organized Global Day of Protest, when thousands of protesters took to the streets around the world to protest at Tesla showrooms, charging stations and properties where Teslas are located.
Bedell believes the timing was not a coincidence.
“I do believe the timing had something to do with this big weekend of protests,” Bedell said.
Incidents involving Tesla vehicles have plagued the country as disgruntled protesters turn on the company to express their displeasure with Musk.
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Earlier this week, a Colorado man was arrested and is facing federal charges for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“Let this be a warning – you can run, but you cannot hide,” Bondi said in a video message. “Justice is coming.”
On March 24, Kerri Pouliot shared surveillance footage of a man dragging a key across her family’s Cybertruck in a New Hampshire parking lot.
Two days later, a Las Vegas man was charged in an alleged Molotov cocktail attack that ignited at least five Tesla vehicles at a local collision center in mid-March.
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After the recent string of violence, FBI Director Kash Pash launched a task force to investigate and prosecute offenders, vowing to bring protesters to justice.
“Director Patel has been unequivocally clear. The FBI will be relentless in its mission to protect the American people,” the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Acts of violence, vandalism and domestic terrorism — like the recent Tesla attacks — will be pursued with the full force of the law.”
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the Tesla vandalism, saying, “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20-year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla. Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions.”
To Bedell, the attack has uprooted his sense of community.
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“It’s not a political symbol. It’s just a car,” Bedell told Fox News Digital. “Most people bought these cars way before the election, way before Elon Musk, before any of this happened. It’s not a political symbol. It has nothing to do with my political views. It’s just a car. I’m trying to save the environment and be environmentally conscious, and now I’m getting backlash for it. It’s just the wrong target for people’s hostilities, frustrations and anger.”
Tesla did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Bedell is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the Cybertruck vandal’s arrest, a move he hopes will deter future offenders and show solidarity in his California community as he is left feeling “violated.”
“I don’t know if they’re going to come back. I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Bedell told Fox News Digital. “This person is dangerous. I’m sure I’m not the first person, and I’m not going to be the last person [they are] going to do it to. I am set on getting this person caught and making an example out of this person.”
Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
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