Bloomington police are embracing mercy and calling for an end to the rash vandalism of Teslas.
Police Chief Booker Hodges said his department is yielding to the wishes of one Tesla owner and won’t pursue a criminal case against a woman who did thousands of dollars of damage to his vehicle parked outside a Cub Foods.
Teslas have been smashed and set ablaze in recent weeks across the country, and protests have been staged at hundreds of dealerships, including in Golden Valley.
The uproar is in response to company owner Elon Musk’s role in pursuing deep cuts in many segments of the federal government on behalf of President Donald Trump.
Some Tesla owners, in a pre-emptive move, have put on bumper stickers that read, “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”
On March 26, a 27-year-old Bloomington woman walked past a new Tesla SUV parked outside the Cub Foods on France Avenue north of Old Shakopee Road and scraped it with a key, causing $3,200 in damage, police said.
Police posted on social media a video of the woman in the parking lot and asked for tips helping to find her.
On Tuesday, Hodges said the woman came in with her family one day later and fessed up. He said the Tesla owner just wants her to pay the repair bill.