Tesla owner seeks $1 million in damages after car keyed in Dallas; suspect arrested
With protests against Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, erupting across the country and reports of vandals damaging cars, the EV brand is taking a beating.
But one North Texas Tesla owner is fighting back. He has filed a civil lawsuit against the man accused of keying his Model X earlier in March while it was parked at DFW Airport.
Citing damage to the car, lost wages, and emotional duress, he is seeking $1 million in damages.
The accused, Rafael Hernandez, was arrested by DFW Airport Police over the weekend. Hernandez has been charged with criminal mischief and 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, who represents the EV owner. "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."
In the lawsuit, the Tesla owner is identified by his initials only due to fear of threats.
The Tesla incident at DFW Airport was caught on video
The car's onboard camera captured images of a man with a key fob in hand, appearing to vandalize 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 car's owner spoke with CBS News Texas in the days following the incident, 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."
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The Tesla pushback began when Musk became the face of federal workers losing their jobs.
"I didn't buy the car because of Elon Musk. And so I'm not going to get rid of it because of Elon Musk," Tesla vehicle owner Chanel Mergerson said.
She said she rented a Tesla in the fall to drive her son to college, loved it, and bought one in October 2024. She admits that what she has since learned about Musk is troubling, but she's not concerned about the controversy. Her son thinks differently.
"He called me from college and said, 'Mom, you've got to get rid of this car.' He was afraid that I was going to get keyed or somebody was going to hurt the car while I'm in it, or whether I'm driving it," she said.
The real reason behind the $1 million civil lawsuit
Attorneys for the Tesla owner whose car was keyed said attacks on private individuals due to political disagreements cannot be tolerated. They acknowledged 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?" Nachawati said. "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."
