A Texas woman says she now lives in constant fear after a suspect intentionally rammed her Tesla in an unprovoked hit-and-run attack, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Virita Carstaffin was dining at a Chinese restaurant in Texarkana last week when 33-year-old Demarqeyun Marquize Cox allegedly spotted her red Tesla in the parking lot and deliberately crashed a four-wheeler into it. Security footage captured Cox slamming head-on into the front driver-side door before fleeing the scene.
“I was stunned. I was upset,” Carstaffin said Sunday on Fox & Friends Weekend. “He did quite a bit [of damage]. I estimate it so far to be between $2,700 and $3,500.”
The attack comes amid a growing wave of vandalism targeting Teslas, with reports of vehicles being set on fire and even defaced with fascistic symbols. While the motivation behind Cox’s actions remains unclear, Carstaffin believes Tesla owners are becoming unfair targets due to political and social tensions surrounding the company’s CEO, Elon Musk.
“It’s very horrible to know that you’re either shopping or eating, as I was, and you come out to see that your vehicle has been terrorized,” she said. “The innocent bystanders that own these vehicles shouldn’t be hurt by other people’s feelings with politics.”
Texarkana police arrested Cox after officers recognised him from surveillance footage and linked him to other Tesla-related vandalism in the area, according to the New York Post.
Carstaffin says the ordeal has left her feeling anxious about simply driving her car.
“I fear every day, every second,” she said, worried that another attack could happen while she’s inside the vehicle.
“This is my dream car, so it’s like one of my kids. I love my car just like I love my kids. And when it was harmed, it really touched me…. I worked really hard for this, and for somebody to do what they did is very hurtful.”
Authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motive for the attack, but the incident has raised concerns about the increasing hostility toward Tesla owners across the country.