Texas man busted by Tesla 'sentry mode' after allegedly ramming 4-wheeler into multiple vehicles

A Texas antheral was arrested aft allegedly damaging aggregate Teslas crossed the metropolis of Texarkana.

The Texarkana Police Department announced connected Facebook that Demarqeyun Cox, 33, was arrested for allegedly ramming a "mini four-wheeler" into respective Tesla vehicles. Police are moving to spot which reports of Teslas being damaged could beryllium linked to Cox. 

The fishy is presently charged with 1 number of felony transgression mischief and nonaccomplishment to identify. He is presently being held connected a $105,000 bond, according to section NBC affiliate KETK-TV.

Texarkana Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Vaughn told Fox News Digital that officers person linked Cox to aggregate instances of vandalism, but they're being kept to 1 complaint due to the fact that authorities see it to beryllium "one transgression episode."

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Demarqeyun Cox allegedly utilized a mini four-wheeler to ram into aggregate Tesla vehicles. (Texarkana Texas Police Department/Facebook)

"Basically, you know, respective incidents that happened wrong a precise abbreviated play of clip there. So, it's 1 complaint which, you know, enhances the complaint fundamentally to a felony due to the fact that each of those individually increases cumulatively, alternatively increases the dollar magnitude of the harm there. So, you cognize that that gets it to the felony level [of] astir 2 oregon three," Vaughn told Fox News Digital.

Vaughn besides said that the fishy allegedly utilized an entity to scratch the connection "Elon" onto 2 antithetic vehicles. Despite this, constabulary inactive person not confirmed whether the onslaught was politically motivated.

Footage from a damaged Tesla extracurricular a Chinese buffet edifice allegedly caught Cox successful the act. Tesla vehicles person a "Sentry Mode" diagnostic that acts arsenic a surveillance system. When successful this mode, the vehicle’s cameras and sensors are capable to grounds enactment astir it.

"Think of Sentry Mode arsenic an intelligent conveyance information strategy that alerts you erstwhile it detects imaginable threats nearby," according to the Tesla Model 3 owner’s manual.

Five Tesla vehicles were acceptable connected occurrence and changeable astatine successful what constabulary are investigating arsenic a "targeted attack" astatine a section repair halfway successful Las Vegas, Nevada connected March 18. (Hal Sparks via Storyful)

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According to police, they received different study of a damaged Tesla aft Cox’s arrest.
There has been an uptick successful attacks connected Tesla vehicles successful caller months amid increasing protests against CEO Elon Musk’s enactment with the Trump administration. Tesla vehicles and dealerships person been vandalized and damaged successful respective states and adjacent successful Canada.

The Trump medication has started cracking down connected the vandals, calling the uptick successful attacks "domestic terrorism." So far, 3 suspects person been charged successful transportation with "the convulsive demolition of Tesla properties," according to the Department of Justice. The defendants look charges that transportation a minimum of 5 years successful prison, but could spell up to 20 years.

Bystander video shows a suspected arson onslaught aft 2 Cybertrucks were acceptable connected occurrence astatine a Tesla dealership successful Kansas City connected Monday, March 17, 2025.  (Levi Campbell via Storyful)

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"The days of committing crimes without effect person ended," Attorney General Pam Bondi said successful a statement. "Let this beryllium a warning: if you articulation this question of home coercion against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice volition enactment you down bars."

When asked whether helium could spot Cox's lawsuit being taken up by the DOJ, Vaughn said, "If they would privation to prosecute it, I'm definite that the section would stock the accusation with them."