Full Breakdown
Tesla Vandalism Spree in Irvine
7/25/2026, 12:56:44 PM
Timeline of Incidents
- July 17 – Surveillance video captured a man spray-painting a Tesla in a parking garage near Michelson Drive and Carlson Avenue around 10:30 p.m. The same night three additional Teslas in that garage were marked with red spray paint.
- July 20 – Irvine police posted the first video of the suspect, showing him shaking a spray-paint can, pulling his shirt over his mouth and defacing a Tesla with the word “Nazi.” Four Teslas were reported damaged that night.
- July 24 – New footage showed the suspect entering a different garage at the same plaza and vandalizing nine more Teslas, again using the terms “fascist” and “Nazi.”
In total, 13 Teslas were vandalized across two separate garage locations within a week.
Police Investigation and Official Statements
Detective Noelle of the Irvine Police Department is leading the investigation and has asked the public to help identify the suspect. Officers note that the perpetrator wore different shirts but kept the same shoes and a noticeable tattoo above his right elbow. One Tesla’s built-in camera recorded part of the act, and other garage cameras captured matching red spray paint.
Officer Ziggy Azarcon, the department’s spokesperson, emphasized the rarity of such incidents in Irvine and the department’s commitment to protecting owners of high-value vehicles. He also reminded the community that Teslas record 360-degree video, which aided the investigation.
Victim Impact
One victim reported that the spray-paint damage prevented him from driving his vehicle for several days until a professional removed the paint. He expressed frustration at being caught in a “crossfire” he did not understand and hopes the suspect receives help and is apprehended quickly.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you look closely at his pocket, you can see the red cap of the spray for the second night,” — Officer Ziggy Azarcon, irvine PD spokesperson
- “This is something that doesn't happen every single day in Irvine so this is a very unique vandalism case. We would really like to get to the bottom of this and identify who this man is,” — Officer Ziggy Azarcon, irvine PD spokesperson
- “A lot of people know Teslas do record 360 degrees,” — Officer Ziggy Azarcon, irvine PD spokesperson
- “Our community works very hard for what they have, and people pay for these cars,” — Officer Ziggy Azarcon, irvine PD spokesperson
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Noelle at BNoelle@cityofirvine.org.
