EAST GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — An 83-year-old man was arrested Sunday for vandalizing Teslas and causing thousands of dollars in damage at a Long Island mall parking lot, officials said Wednesday.
It happened just before 2 p.m., when Victor Divergilio entered the parking lot of the Roosevelt Field Mall located at 630 Old Country Rd. in East Garden City.
According to detectives, Divergilio walked alongside five brand new Tesla vehicles and used a sharp object to deeply scratch them, causing approximately $23,000 worth of damage.
Officials located Divergilio at his residence and placed him under arrest without incident.
Divergilio was charged with criminal mischief in the second degree and will be arraigned on Wednesday, April 23.
The incident comes amid a rash of vandalisms targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships nationwide since Tesla CEO Elon Musk became a key adviser to President Donald Trump and took the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.