Tesla owner living in fear 'every day' after suspected vandal rammed four-wheeler into driver's-side door
Virita Carstaffin lives in fear "every day" after a suspect rammed a four-wheeler into her red Tesla in an unprovoked hit-and-run attack last week, causing what she estimates to be thousands of dollars worth of damage.
"I was stunned. I was upset," Carstaffin said Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"He did quite a bit [of damage]. I estimate it so far to be between $2,700 and $3,500."
Footage of the incident shows 33-year-old Demarqeyun Marquize Cox ramming head-on into the Tesla's front driver-side door after spotting the vehicle in a parking lot outside the Chinese restaurant where Carstaffin was dining at the time.
His alleged actions come as a wave of anti-Elon Musk activism has emerged nationwide – with some vandals carving fascistic symbols into Teslas, and others setting fire to them.
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"It's very horrible to know that you're either shopping or eating as I was, and you come out to see that your vehicle has been terrorized," Carstaffin said of the violence.
"The innocent bystanders that own these vehicles shouldn't be taken [hurt] by other people's feelings with politics."
Texarkana, Texas police arrested Cox after other Teslas were damaged in the area and an officer who arrived on the scene recognized him from footage, the New York Post reported.
Carstaffin said she fears driving her Tesla "every day, every second," especially if vandals decide to strike while she's inside the vehicle.
"This is my dream car, so it's like one of my kids. I love my car just like I love my kids. And when it was harmed, it really touched me…. I worked really hard for this, and for somebody to do what they did is very hurtful."