Telsa owners are now being physically attacked, despite having absolutely zero affiliation to owner Elon Musk — aside from buying a car from his company — or the work he is doing as chair of the Department of Government Efficiency.
On Friday, Arizona’s Family reported that a woman apparently went through just that in Flagstaff, Arizona, last week.
The news outlet posted footage from the Tesla’s sentry camera that captured the moment. It was later reposted to social media platform X by commentator Collin Rugg.
NEW: 61-year-old female Tesla driver assaulted inside her own car after being chased down.
The woman who was identified as “Susan” was driving on Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona when the assault happened.
“I didn’t buy my car for a political statement. I bought my car because… pic.twitter.com/HsenJ7AQWh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 30, 2025
The video showed an older green four-door sedan passing the woman’s Tesla and pulling in front of her, partially blocking her lane. The woman swung her car to the right to go around the green sedan on the right, but the other driver pulled farther forward, preventing her car from going forward.
The 61-year-old driver of the Tesla, who identified herself by the pseudonym Susan, could not be seen in the video, but another person could be seen exiting the green vehicle and walking up to the Tesla.
“I started to say, you cut me off what’s your problem, but I didn’t know how much he heard me,” said Susan. “He got out and started to punch me with a closed fist.”
Susan said she struggled and even bit her attacker’s hand before a passenger got out of the green sedan and pulled the assailant away.
Should this man face felony battery charges?
The two men then got back in the green car (police later identified it as a Chevrolet Cavalier) and drove away.
“I was just stunned,” Susan told Arizona’s Family about the terrifying incident. She added, “I’m just appalled. I didn’t buy my car for a political statement. I bought my car because it’s really fun to drive … My politics have nothing to do with that.
“I’m ashamed of our society and what they’re doing,” she said, commenting on the pattern of criminal acts committed against Tesla owners in recent weeks.
A man identified as 33-year-old Robert Artherton was later arrested in connection with the incident and was due to be arraigned Monday, but AZ Family reported the suspect failed to appear in court.
“I’m frustrated but not surprised,” she told the news outlet. “My attorney told me it was likely he would not show up. This is a repeat offense.”
She told the outlet Artherton should have been charged with felony aggravated assault, rather than being issued a citation.
A news release from the Flagstaff Police Department claimed both parties had been driving erratically and making “disorderly hand gestures” before the confrontation. Officers who tracked down Artherton said they opted to cite him rather than arrest him because the suspect was “seeking medical attention for an injury to his hand.”
At this point, it’s not clear whether the Flagstaff incident was garden-variety road rage or a targeted Tesla attack.
But in recent weeks, Teslas have been keyed, set ablaze, and owners have been harassed, all apparently to somehow protest Musk’s work to cut frivolous government spending.
Do we really live in a free country that boasts prosperity and safety when we have politically motivated lunacy like this taking place?
These deranged, psychotic terrorist attacks against Tesla owners need to be met with punishment to the fullest extent of the law.
On Monday, Business Insider reported Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice are seeking a 20-year sentence for the alleged firebomber of a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on March 7.
Bondi and the DOJ need to dole out justice devastatingly to send a message to would-be criminals: This behavior won’t be tolerated.
Americans shouldn’t have to worry about being assaulted or vandalized when deciding what car to drive.
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