A 33-year-old man from Texarkana, Demarqeyun Cox, has been charged with felony criminal mischief after a string of Tesla-related vandalism incidents, all captured on surveillance footage. According to authorities, Cox was seen crashing a mini four-wheeler into several Tesla vehicles, including one outside the Golden Palace restaurant, where he collided with a car at high speed before fleeing the scene.
One of the Tesla owners, Virita Carstaffin, was alerted to the damage while having lunch. “My phone notified me, and when I checked, I saw what had happened,” she said. The cost to repair her car’s front door alone is estimated to exceed $1,000. She also clarified that she has no connection to Cox.
Later that day, officers spotted Cox riding the same four-wheeler near Summerhill and New Boston roads. “He initially provided a false name, but officers quickly determined his true identity,” said Texarkana Police Department spokesperson Shawn Vaughn. “The video evidence made it clear that he was responsible for at least one of the Tesla attacks.”
However, the vandalism spree did not end there. Investigators suspect Cox also targeted Teslas parked at Lowe’s on Walton Drive and Genesis Prime Care on College Drive. In these cases, he allegedly used a sharp object to carve the name “Elon” into the vehicles.
Cox was taken into custody and is currently being held at Bi-State Jail, with bail set at $105,000. While his motives remain unknown, his destructive actions have left a lasting impact on both the community and the affected vehicle owners.
