During a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, two Tesla Cybertruck owners experienced a distressing situation when their vehicles were vandalized by members of the crowd. The incident took place as they were participating in the Orpheus parade, carrying parade marshals, as reported by Business Insider.
Joshua Hazel, one of the Tesla Cybertruck owners, described the incident as “aggressive,” “hateful,” and “violent.” Initially, Mr. Hazel and his group were excited to showcase their Cybertrucks adorned with American flags and custom wraps at the Mardi Gras celebration. However, as they progressed through the parade, they faced hostility from a section of the crowd, leading to harassment and vandalism of their vehicles.
Mr. Hazel recalled a moment when someone aggressively threw Mardi Gras beads at his Cybertruck, hitting his wife on the head. The impact not only left his wife shaken but also caused significant damage to the vehicle, including a smashed glass panel covering the camera area.
Similarly, Christina’s Cybertruck was also targeted, with individuals causing major damage by striking her vehicle with a heavy object.
Following the incident, both Mr. Hazel and Ms. Christina reported the vandalism to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). They are now facing the financial burden of repairing the damages, with Mr. Hazel estimating repair costs of around $7,360 for his Cybertruck, including replacing the shattered glass and redoing the aftermarket wrap. Ms. Christina has already spent over $2,000 to replace the broken glass on her Cybertruck and is anticipating additional costs for repairing the damaged wrap.
This act of vandalism is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on Tesla facilities and vehicles across the US, ranging from vandalism and graffiti to shootings. President Trump has condemned these attacks, suggesting they be classified as domestic terrorism.
Recently, multiple Tesla vehicles were set on fire and shot at a Las Vegas service center, resulting in damage to at least five vehicles, with two of them catching fire, according to a CNN report. The perpetrator used Molotov cocktails and gunshots in the attack, prompting a joint investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
