The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating vandalism at a Tesla dealership in Encinitas. Several cars, as well as windows on the building, were spray-painted with swastikas and profanity.
San Diego County deputies driving by a Tesla dealership in North County early on Monday noticed that the showroom and multiple vehicles had been vandalized.
SDSO said in a news release issued Monday afternoon that the deputies were passing the business in the 1300 block of Encinitas Boulevard around 5 a.m. when they saw that several cars and windows at the site had swastikas painted on them; there was also profanity painted on the building, according to investigators.
No arrests have been made, the sheriff's department said, nor have any suspects been identified.
As Elon Musk attempts to drastically cut the federal workforce and delves further into the corridors of American power, the Tesla CEO's electric carmaker facilities have come under fire — literally, NBC News reported, with incidents reported around the country. He has also come under fire after accusations of supporting antisemitic claims.
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In Europe, an effigy of Musk was hung in Milan and an image of him doing a straight-arm salute projected on a Tesla factory outside Berlin. In London, a bus-stop poster of him above the word “swasticars” lit up social media. A Polish government minister called for a Tesla boycott.
Last week, President Donald Trump shopped for a new Tesla on the White House driveway, selecting a shiny red sedan to show his support for Musk's electric vehicle company as it faces blowback because of his work to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal government.
Anyone with information about the incident in Encinitas is being urged to call the sheriff's department at (858) 868-3200. Tips can also be called in anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477, which is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story — Ed.
