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San Diego car vandals – getting bolder?

Tesla Cybertruck throws down the gauntlet

Shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism
Shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism

When Jacob T. came outside from his Kensington home on October 16, ready to go to work, he found his truck smeared with what appeared to be mud. After a closer look, it became clear that the substance was something worse. He posted photos online, writing, "This happened in the alleyway. Someone shat all over my car." Unable to bring himself to clean the mess before work, he instead ordered a Lyft. Comments poured in online, with some expressing sympathy and others suggesting it might be retaliation. One asked, "Did you not clean up after your dog?" to which Jacob replied, "I don’t have a dog."

Jacob's neighbor, Laura, added that this behavior wasn’t new to their area. "There was a time when someone rubbed their poop all over the walls of this parking garage, and I had to ask the property manager to send maintenance to clean it." Anne from University Heights — about two miles west of Jacob — shared that a vandal also smeared excrement on her car’s door handles.

"That's the lowest thing you can do — is to s#it on someone's ride!" said John Garcia of City Heights in a recent interview. "People have been messing with my old Honda because I won't sell it." Over the past year, Garcia has come out to find flat tires, a broken windshield, and notes on his replaced windshield asking if he'll sell the car. "These people are vandalizing my car in hopes that I'll sell it for cheap because of the damage they or their buddies just caused. It's a vandalizing scam."


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In August, Sebastiano Lopez from Hillcrest posted on NextDoor about teenagers he had seen jumping on cars and vandalizing them. "These teens were jumping on cars and doing stuff to cars and recording for social media," he wrote. "If you recognize any kids or if they’re your kids, teach them vandalizing property isn’t right."

Social media is filled with posts from frustrated users reporting shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism. Thieves frequently break windows to test if a car has an alarm. If the alarm doesn’t sound, they rummage through the vehicle, stealing whatever they can find.

Wendy L., from Little Italy, shared her ongoing frustration: “I’ve been through windows, mirrors, and windshield wipers being smashed or torn off. My hood even has a knife wound.”

Some locals suggested that victims check with Tesla owners in the area to check footage from their Tesla's Sentry Mode, a feature that records suspicious activity around the car.

San Diego’s love-hate relationship with the new Tesla Cybertruck has drawn vandalism. Known for its unusual stainless steel design, the Cybertruck’s supposedly “bulletproof” body has inspired vandals to put it to the test. One such incident occurred in Ocean Beach in May, where a vandal was caught on camera throwing rocks at a parked Cybertruck. A local confronted the vandal, yelling, “Hey, what the [expletive]!”

In March, CBS 8 San Diego reported on a string of cars throughout the county that spray painted and had broken windows.

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Shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism
Shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism

When Jacob T. came outside from his Kensington home on October 16, ready to go to work, he found his truck smeared with what appeared to be mud. After a closer look, it became clear that the substance was something worse. He posted photos online, writing, "This happened in the alleyway. Someone shat all over my car." Unable to bring himself to clean the mess before work, he instead ordered a Lyft. Comments poured in online, with some expressing sympathy and others suggesting it might be retaliation. One asked, "Did you not clean up after your dog?" to which Jacob replied, "I don’t have a dog."

Jacob's neighbor, Laura, added that this behavior wasn’t new to their area. "There was a time when someone rubbed their poop all over the walls of this parking garage, and I had to ask the property manager to send maintenance to clean it." Anne from University Heights — about two miles west of Jacob — shared that a vandal also smeared excrement on her car’s door handles.

"That's the lowest thing you can do — is to s#it on someone's ride!" said John Garcia of City Heights in a recent interview. "People have been messing with my old Honda because I won't sell it." Over the past year, Garcia has come out to find flat tires, a broken windshield, and notes on his replaced windshield asking if he'll sell the car. "These people are vandalizing my car in hopes that I'll sell it for cheap because of the damage they or their buddies just caused. It's a vandalizing scam."


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In August, Sebastiano Lopez from Hillcrest posted on NextDoor about teenagers he had seen jumping on cars and vandalizing them. "These teens were jumping on cars and doing stuff to cars and recording for social media," he wrote. "If you recognize any kids or if they’re your kids, teach them vandalizing property isn’t right."

Social media is filled with posts from frustrated users reporting shattered windows — the most common type of auto vandalism. Thieves frequently break windows to test if a car has an alarm. If the alarm doesn’t sound, they rummage through the vehicle, stealing whatever they can find.

Wendy L., from Little Italy, shared her ongoing frustration: “I’ve been through windows, mirrors, and windshield wipers being smashed or torn off. My hood even has a knife wound.”

Some locals suggested that victims check with Tesla owners in the area to check footage from their Tesla's Sentry Mode, a feature that records suspicious activity around the car.

San Diego’s love-hate relationship with the new Tesla Cybertruck has drawn vandalism. Known for its unusual stainless steel design, the Cybertruck’s supposedly “bulletproof” body has inspired vandals to put it to the test. One such incident occurred in Ocean Beach in May, where a vandal was caught on camera throwing rocks at a parked Cybertruck. A local confronted the vandal, yelling, “Hey, what the [expletive]!”

In March, CBS 8 San Diego reported on a string of cars throughout the county that spray painted and had broken windows.

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