A furious Tesla owner has launched a lawsuit against a man accused of keying his Model X electric car.
The owner, who is identified only by his initials in the lawsuit to protect himself, says that the vandalism at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas left him with damage to his car, a loss in wages and emotional duress.
Because of this he is seeking an eye watering $1m in damages.
The suspect – Rafael Hernandez – was arrested at the airport and has been charged with criminal mischief. He is expected to make his first court appearance on April 8.
“It’s a fine line between civility and anarchy,” said Majed Nachawati, managing partner with the Nachawati Legal Group in Dallas. “This matter has nothing to do with his political persuasions or affiliations. He happens to believe that Tesla, his Model X, is one of the best cars he’s ever owned. And he enjoys driving it, plain and simple.”
The car’s onboard camera captured images of a man with a key fob in hand, appearing to scratch the vehicle. The owner shared the video on social media, hoping to identify the man. It has since gone viral, leading to Hernandez’s arrest.
The owner spoke with CBS News Texas’ Erin Jones in the days that followed, saying: “It’s just kind of mind-boggling to me that there are people who are so triggered and so disturbed by anything these days that they can go so far as to just cause harm to somebody.”
Attorneys for the Tesla owner say attacks on private individuals due to political disagreements cannot be tolerated. Attorneys acknowledge that the vehicle itself is not worth $1 million, but admit their client also wants to send a message with the lawsuit. He’s hoping to discourage other acts of violence.
“We don’t allow people to act out based on what they believe their political affiliations are and what upsets them and who they are upset with, and allow them to take things into their own hands and become essentially a vigilante… What does that say about our country?” said Nachawati. “Whether you’re a Republican, whether you’re a Democrat, I believe anyone who sees the video and who sees what happened would believe that deterrence would be the biggest part of this case.”
“I think it makes perfect sense for someone to get compensated for someone damaging their property,” said Tesla owner Mitch Mitchell. “That’s just completely wrong. I don’t see why someone would do something like that.”
