Posted on 04/07/2025 10:15:03 AM PDT by Red Badger
Dallas, TX – A Texas Tesla owner is delivering a dose of financial karma to the man who allegedly vandalized his Model X, and conservatives are calling it a masterstroke of justice that might just hit harder than jail time. Jeff Nguyen, whose vehicle was keyed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on March 13, 2025, is suing Rafael Humberto Hernandez for a staggering $1 million, sending a clear message to the so-called “Tesla Takedown” movement: mess with a Tesla, and you’ll pay a price far worse than a stint behind bars.
The incident, which gained national attention after being amplified by Donald Trump Jr. on X, was captured by the Tesla’s built-in cameras—a feature that’s become a nightmare for vandals like Hernandez. Court documents describe the damage as a “deep engraving or indentation,” and the footage, shared by @amuse on March 18, 2025, helped internet sleuths identify Hernandez, a 36-year-old Frisco resident. “The power of the internet is definitely real,” Nguyen wrote on Facebook, confirming that law enforcement had the suspect in custody by March 22. Hernandez now faces a felony charge of criminal mischief, which could land him 180 days to two years in jail and fines up to $10,000 if convicted. VIDEO AT LINK...................
But Nguyen isn’t stopping at criminal charges. His $1 million civil suit, filed with the help of Dallas-based Nachawati Legal Group, seeks damages for property damage, emotional distress, mental anguish, and legal costs. According to a March 29 Dallas Morning News report, Nguyen claims the incident—and the subsequent publicity—has made him a “target and victim of continued harassment and intimidation,” exacerbated by political backlash tied to Elon Musk’s support for President Trump. Steven Schulte, Nguyen’s attorney, emphasized that the suit isn’t just about compensation; it’s about deterrence. “No one in the United States should ever be targeted simply because they own a certain type of vehicle,” Schulte told the Morning News, noting that Nguyen, a car enthusiast, bought the Tesla for its quality, not as a political statement.
The “Tesla Takedown” movement, which has seen a wave of attacks on Tesla dealerships and owners since Musk’s alignment with Trump, has conservatives fuming. A similar incident in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, saw 55-year-old Chadd Ritenbaugh allegedly carve a swastika into a Tesla, only to be confronted by the owner in a viral video shared by @CollinRugg on March 29, 2025. “Whether it’s good old-fashioned litigation or innovative viral infamy, something needs to be done beyond arrests,” wrote @CollinRugg, pointing out that Tesla’s cameras make vandals easy targets for identification.
For Trump supporters, Nguyen’s lawsuit is a win against the left’s anti-Tesla crusade. “This is how you fight back,” wrote @MAGAJustice22 on X. “Hit them where it hurts—the wallet.” With the DOJ already pursuing RICO charges against the “generals” behind the attacks, as Musk revealed on The Five on April 1, Nguyen’s suit adds another layer of accountability. If jail won’t deter these vandals, a $1 million “ball-and-chain,” as one X user put it, just might. For conservatives, it’s a satisfying dose of justice—and a warning to the left that their actions have consequences.
This certainly qualifies as a Hate Crime, using the Left’s standards
I wonder what Rafael’s net worth might be...
Easily six figures...............ALL ZEROES.................
Damaging someone’s property over political differences is a clear violation of the Tesla owner’s first amendment rights. Even if the political differences are imagined. (i.e. most Tesla owners hate Musk too now)
I was hoping civil actions would happen. Attach their wages. Heck, if they could make the creep have to sell some belongings, especially his car, then the perp would have to use public transportation.
Pretty easy to get him to say he heard from it from one or all of the NGOs and then class actions them with other Tesla owners.
I don’t go for the hate crime business. But I think here there’s a legitimate argument that we’re dealing with political terrorism and intimidation. Which to me as a non- lawyer that sounds like it justifies the size of the lawsuit better than a hate crime.
And think of it, the guy that vandalized the car is going to be out all of his legal bills and even if the settlement is reduced, he’s going to be stuck with the legal bills of the car owner too. That’s a bunch of money. Should bankrupt the little turd
and have part of his wages be confiscated to pay off the fine- Our side has to hit back hard- make them pay for being buttheads- $$ is the only thing that they know
It’s hilarious to me that these idiots don’t even have the sense to wear masks/hide their license plates, etc....
Is he suing Antifa and Soros?
Sigh. I rise once again to tell my brothers and sisters that lawsuits are not magic and the value of a case is a function of the amount of hard damages you’ve suffered. The numbers you see in The article are just a random number by the attorney; it has no meaning whatsoever. In CA, you MIGHT survive with a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, I.e. “conduct so extreme that it ought not be tolerated in a civilized society.” But the emotional distress has to actually happen, the owner in the video sounds calm and determined, not shattered. So no substantial emotional distress. There’s the cost of repainting. If somehow you can squeeze in punitive damages it has to be proportionate to the guys wealth and per SCOTUS precedent, no more than about 9X the amount of actual damages.
On a good day this case hits mid-five figures. The value of coverage like this is that it might deter others of these cowards
Keying some random person’s automobile is NOT freedom of speech, it is vandalism, and should be treated as such.
Vandals are held to the standard of making restitution to the victims of their predations, and failing that, charged with public mischief.
Tesla autos use a special paint that’s expensive and the Cybertrucks are STIANLESS STEEL like DeLoreans so the whole body panel has to be replaced...........
Then shoot him. 😁
Public waterboarding for a first offense would be an adequate punishment.
Musk did not start the Tesla co and only owns 12% of it. So these IDIOT ACTIVISTS are harming the owners and stockholders of the stock and not so much Elon Himself. I wonder what is the cost of a rent a mob cast and crew.
Make Soros pay the mill. His goons started it.
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