Irvine Police Department arrested 25-year-old Max Sebastian Solomon on Tuesday for allegedly spray-painting the words “Nazi” and “Fascist” in red on 13 Tesla vehicles. According to police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp, an officer suspected a connection between these acts of vandalism and a prior conflict when a man spat on a Tesla parked at an intersection.
Investigators compared surveillance footage from the previous incident and the vandalism, identifying the suspect based on matching features. Following a lead from a takeout bag the man carried during the earlier event, detectives traced it to a restaurant and obtained a customer’s name.
Subsequently, Solomon was confirmed as the suspect and taken into custody. Currently, he is being held at the Orange County Jail on charges of felony vandalism.
Solomon’s first act of vandalism occurred around 10:30 p.m. on July 17, when four Teslas were parked in a lot near the intersection of Michelson Drive and Carlson Ave, northwest of the UC Irvine campus.
One victim who discovered the red markings on his car called the police, expressing initial concern that he was targeted personally before realizing others were affected as well.
In a video released by the police, a man wearing a shirt over his face can be seen spray-painting the vehicles. The footage was likely captured by a Tesla’s onboard camera provided by a car owner.
Oldoerp commented, “The suspect has a dislike for Tesla, holding personal views or emotions towards the company and expressing hostility by committing these acts of vandalism.”
Affected car owners mentioned the inconvenience caused by the damage, as they were unable to drive their vehicles for several days until the paint was professionally removed. “You definitely don’t want to drive a car like that on the street,” one owner stated.
On the night of the 23rd, another nine Tesla vehicles in a different parking lot at the same commercial center were similarly vandalized with the same offensive words. Authorities believe the same man was responsible for damaging all 13 cars.
Irvine Police had observed distinctive features common across various scenes before confirming the suspect’s identity. “If you observe closely, you will notice some similar traits in this individual in different settings, especially in his shoes, which leads us to believe it is likely the same person. Additionally, what caught our attention is a tattoo on the back of his right elbow, although the exact design is unclear.”
In recent years, Tesla cars have been frequent targets of vandalism by protest demonstrators, often stemming from discontent with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s political views. However, authorities have not disclosed Solomon’s motive for the vandalism activities.