Bloomington police are asking for help in identifying a person who keyed a Tesla outside of a grocery and liquor store on Wednesday afternoon.
Police chief Booker Hodges posted a video about the incident on the department's YouTube channel and explained what took place.
"An individual had watched some folks get out of a Tesla," Hodges explains. "The individual then went to the liquor store. The people in the Tesla walked by. After that they left the liquor store, they didn't buy nothing and they went and scratched the Tesla."
Hodges says the suspect waited for the Tesla's passengers to into a store before damaging the vehicle.
"$3,200 worth of damage is what took place here," says Hodges. "Resist the Tesla temptation, stop damaging these cars all around the country and we're tired of our insurance rates going up. And what are you really accomplishing? Knock this off."
A video of the incident can be seen here.
Vandalism against Teslas have been on the rise nationwide recently over Elon Musk's involvement with the federal government and the Trump Administration.
Earlier this week, Austin, Texas police said they were investigating several incendiary devices found at a Tesla dealership on the city's north side.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk's electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas, along with protests nationwide in response to the billionaire's work with the Trump administration cutting federal funding and the workforce.
On Saturday, a man drove his car into protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida. No one was injured, and the man was arrested on an assault complaint. In California, police said a counter-protestor was arrested Saturday after activating a stun gun during an anti-Musk demonstration outside a Tesla dealership near downtown Berkeley. Nobody was hurt. The 33-year-old man was awaiting charges Monday.
Several more cases of violence targeting Tesla include Cybertrucks being set on fire in Seattle and shots fired at a dealership in Oregon. Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars also have been targeted.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that the bureau is taking steps to crack down on an “increase in violent activity toward Tesla.” The agency has created a task force to coordinate investigative efforts into the attacks with officials at the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an FBI spokesperson said in a social media post.
“This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,” Patel said in a post on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.