Police and the FBI are conducting an investigation after a Tesla charging station sustained damage in Lacey, Washington, early Tuesday morning.
“This morning at 1:34, officers were dispatched to a report of malicious mischief after receiving multiple calls indicating a loud noise in the vicinity,” the Lacey Police Department stated.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that a Tesla charging station had been damaged, according to police. Detectives from the Lacey Police Department are collaborating with federal authorities to investigate the incident.
Under Washington state law, malicious mischief can be classified as a felony depending on the monetary value of the damage incurred.
The FBI acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying that the agency is aware of it and is working with its partners to ascertain the details of what occurred.
In recent months, Tesla vehicles, showrooms, and charging stations across the nation have been targets of vandalism. This comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk faces public criticism regarding his position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency and his involvement in reducing government staffing and budgets.
The FBI initiated a task force in March to address violent acts targeting Tesla.
Lacey is situated approximately 60 miles south of Seattle. As of March 30th of this year, 22 Tesla vehicles in Seattle had been vandalized, the Seattle Police Department informed CNN on Tuesday.
Last month in Las Vegas, police reported that a suspect fired shots at Tesla cars at a repair facility and set two of them on fire using Molotov cocktails.
In a statement posted on its @TeslaCharging X account, the company stated that it is on-site with the Lacey Police Department and the FBI to review security camera footage of the incident. The post on X also indicated that Tesla is working with Puget Sound Energy to restore the charging station to operation as quickly as possible.
