Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying two vandals who graffitied a swastika on a Tesla Cybertruck in downtown Manhattan earlier this month, cops said Friday.
Around 10 p.m. on March 6, the masked duo spray-painted a red swastika on a Tesla Cybertruck near the intersection of Rivington and Chrystie Sts. on the Lower East Side, police said.
The incident is being investigated as a hate crime, according to police.
Tesla electric vehicles have become a popular target since billionaire CEO Elon Musk gave what some considered to be a Nazi salute during an inaugural event for President Donald Trump last November.
Earlier this month, nine people were arrested during a nonviolent “Pull the Plug on Elon Musk” protest at a Tesla dealership in the Meatpacking District. Similar protests have erupted across the country.
A member of the Seattle Fire Department inspects a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle on Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Cops released video footage of the two alleged vandals appearing to enter and exit a bodega. The men, who are described as between around 30 and 40 years old with light complexions, are seen wearing black surgical masks in the video.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.