Tesla Owner Faces Daily Fear After Four-Wheeler Attack Damages Dream Car

Virita Carstaffin, a Tesla owner from Texarkana, Texas, says she lives in fear "every day" after a shocking hit-and-run incident last week left her cherished red Tesla damaged to the tune of thousands of dollars. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Demarqeyun Marquize Cox, allegedly rammed a four-wheeler head-on into her car in an unprovoked attack.

Speaking about the ordeal, Carstaffin told “Fox & Friends Weekend,” "I was stunned. I was upset. He did quite a bit [of damage]. I estimate it so far to be between $2,700 and $3,500." The footage of the incident shows Cox deliberately targeting the Tesla outside a Chinese restaurant where Carstaffin was dining at the time.

The act comes amid a disturbing wave of anti-Elon Musk sentiment sweeping across the country. Vandals have reportedly carved fascistic symbols into Teslas and even set some on fire. The rationale? Well, it seems some people are taking their political frustrations out on parked cars, which is, let’s be honest, a uniquely puzzling form of activism.

"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 shared. She expressed concern that innocent Tesla owners are being targeted for other people's political grievances. "The innocent bystanders that own these vehicles shouldn't be hurt by other people's feelings with politics."

Texarkana police arrested Cox after multiple Teslas were damaged in the area. An officer recognized him from footage captured by Tesla's Sentry Mode, a built-in surveillance system, which seems to be earning its keep in these incidents.

Carstaffin says the attack has left her deeply shaken, fearing for her safety every time she drives her car, especially if vandals decide to strike while she’s inside. "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."

While her resilience is admirable, the incident shines a spotlight on the bizarre and unsettling trend of targeting Tesla vehicles—making them unwitting symbols in a political and cultural tug-of-war that, frankly, should leave cars (and their owners) out of it.