Minneapolis’ top cop tore into local prosecutors after they sought no jail time for a Minnesota state employee who caused felony-level damages to several Tesla vehicles.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his department “did its job” and gave prosecutors a case that documented more than $20,000 in damages to at least six Tesla cars that were carried out by Dylan Bryan Adams.
Mr. Adams even admitted to keying the vehicles, but the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it decided against filing criminal charges against him and instead opted for prefile diversion charges because they reduce his likelihood of becoming a repeat offender.
Prosecutors also said the decision was made so Mr. Adams, 33, could keep his job at Minnesota’s Department of Human Services and afford the restitution he owes the victims.
“Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office,” Chief O’Hara said Monday night in a statement about Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”
Mr. Adams was arrested Wednesday and spent a night in jail after being linked to the vandalism spree.
Authorities shared footage last week of the incidents, which were captured by the Tesla cars’ cameras, with a man seen keying at least four cars.
Some of the key swipes were casual, where the suspect dug his key into the car as he walked his dog past the car. The man stopped during one of the incidents and appeared to use his key to scribble something into the vehicle.
Attacks on Teslas have been a crime trend ever since CEO Elon Musk began working to downsize the federal government at the behest of the White House.
Firebombings and shootings at empty Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been reported from coast to coast since January. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the attacks would be treated as domestic terrorism, and federal charges have been brought against some of the defendants.
Last month, President Trump suggested Tesla vandals should spend 20 years behind bars and be sent to El Salvador as a part of a prison partnership with the Latin American country.
