Edited by: Fern Sidman

Police in Brooklyn are actively searching for a woman who defaced a Tesla Cybertruck with hateful symbols and trash in what authorities believe may be the latest in a disturbing rise of antisemitic and politically charged vandalism. According to an exclusive report that appeared on Wednesday in  The New York Post, the incident occurred Monday evening in Kensington, a heavily Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, and is now under investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.

The unsettling episode unfolded just after 8 p.m. on Ditmas Avenue near Ocean Parkway, when the Tesla’s 38-year-old Jewish owner discovered a brick placed on the bumper of his vehicle—a brick that had been crudely marked with a swastika and the word “Nazi” written in chalk. To further add to the insult, a bag of trash was dumped across the rear of the vehicle, leaving behind not only physical damage but psychological scars.

Police told The New York Post that an unidentified female suspect was behind the defilement. Described as wearing a red puffy jacket and black pants, the woman allegedly left the scene riding a scooter, escaping before law enforcement arrived. Authorities are currently reviewing surveillance footage and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.

The crime is not only being treated as criminal mischief but is being investigated as a hate crime, given the use of Nazi symbolism and the targeted location—a neighborhood with a visibly observant Jewish population.

Video footage published by Boro Park 24 News on Tuesday showed NYPD officers and members of Shmira Public Safety, a volunteer Jewish neighborhood watch organization, gathered around the vandalized Tesla Cybertruck. The New York Post reported indicated that the presence of Shmira underlines the gravity with which the local Jewish community views such attacks, especially as antisemitic incidents have surged across New York and the nation in recent years.

This disturbing act comes amid a broader wave of targeted hostility toward Tesla vehicles and their owner, Elon Musk, whose recent political involvement has made him a polarizing figure. Musk, who was recently appointed head of the “Department of Government Efficiency” in the Trump administration, has attracted both fervent admiration and intense opposition, as was noted in The New York Post article.  Critics of Musk’s politics have begun targeting his company’s vehicles, sometimes conflating Musk’s political associations with the actions of Tesla owners.

The New York Post reported that Monday’s incident is not the first of its kind in Brooklyn. On March 27, a separate Tesla Cybertruck was vandalized in Bed-Stuy, where two suspects carved a swastika and the word “Nazis” into the vehicle’s body. Video from the Tesla’s integrated security cameras reportedly captured one suspect kneeling to carve the symbols while a second stood watch nearby. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with that incident either.

Law enforcement and federal authorities are increasingly concerned about this growing trend. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, federal officials have classified these types of acts as “domestic terrorism,” given their use of hate symbols, the targeting of specific communities, and the broader climate of politically motivated hostility.

While Elon Musk remains a figure of global influence in the fields of space exploration, artificial intelligence, and now government reform, his connection to the Trump administration has put a spotlight on Tesla vehicles in a way few corporate brands have experienced. The report in The New York Post suggested that these recent acts of vandalism suggest that individual Tesla owners may now be perceived as extensions of the CEO’s political alignment, making them unintended targets in what appears to be a dangerous and misguided backlash.

But the use of antisemitic symbols, especially in a community with a substantial Orthodox Jewish population, has broadened the concern far beyond simple brand vandalism. The presence of a swastika, the most universally recognized symbol of Nazi hatred, and the word “Nazi” marked on the Tesla indicate a clear effort to intimidate and provoke—one not just against a car or its owner, but an entire community.

As of publication, no arrests have been made, but the NYPD has assured the public that the case is active and being taken extremely seriously. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and have urged anyone with information to come forward, The New York Post reported. Community leaders have also called on city officials to condemn the rise in antisemitic and politically driven vandalism, warning that failing to respond with urgency could embolden perpetrators further.

Meanwhile, the incident has once again prompted questions about the need for stronger hate crime enforcement, better surveillance, and deeper education efforts to combat the normalization of hate symbols and rhetoric.

One thing is clear: what began as targeted vandalism against a car is rapidly being seen as something much more ominous. In the face of hatred, the Kensington community — and many others around the country — are responding with calls for vigilance, justice, and unity.