Florida man arrested after driving car into protesters at Tesla dealership: Police - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Tesla dealerships have faced attacks since Elon Musk began his White House role.
ByMegan ForresterMarch 24, 2025, 11:47 AM
A Florida man was arrested after driving a car into a group of protesters at a Tesla dealership, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The suspect, 44-year-old Andrew Dutil, "drove his vehicle, jumping the curb onto the sidewalk at a slow rate of speed into a crowd of protestors" on Saturday, police said in a statement.
Police received "numerous calls" regarding a black Nissan SUV driving "up on a curb in front of the Tesla dealerships almost striking multiple pedestrians," according to police.
The protesters moved out of the way to avoid being struck by Dutil's vehicle, police said.
When police arrived on the scene, Dutil's car was parked on the curb in front of the dealership with multiple people surrounding it, authorities said.
Dutil was arrested and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail "without incident," police said.
Andrew S. Dutil is seen in this undated police booking photo.Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
There were no reported injuries among the protesters, police said.
Karen Holland, who was participating in the peaceful protest, told police that Dutil's vehicle "drove by earlier in the day and was yelling at all of the protestors," officials said.
When Dutil returned and started driving up on the curb toward protesters, Holland said she was "in fear for her life and believed she was going to get struck by the vehicle," police said.
Dutil was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, police said.
The incident Friday comes as many Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations have suffered vandalism, arson attacks and protests since CEO Elon Musk began his role with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Additional protests occurred at Tesla dealerships in Colorado Springs, Boston, Memphis and Milford, Connecticut, over the weekend. In Boston, demonstrators were seen holding signs that read, "This ends here," and "Recall Elon."
In a public announcement on Friday, the FBI said incidents targeting Teslas have been recorded in at least nine states since January, including arson, gunfire and graffiti.
"These criminal actions appear to have been conducted by lone offenders, and all known incidents occurred at night," the FBI said. "Individuals require little planning to use rudimentary tactics, such as improvised incendiary devices and firearms, and may perceive these attacks as victimless property crimes."
Five Tesla cars were set on fire and shot at in an arson attack at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas, March 18, 2025.Hal Sparks via Storyful
Another recent Tesla incident occurred in Fargo, North Dakota, where fire crews found a "small fire in wood chips at the base of the electric vehicle chargers in the parking lot" early Friday morning, according to the Fargo Fire Department.
Officials said the fire is considered "suspicious" and the cause is under investigation. It is unclear whether the fire damaged the chargers, authorities said.
The New York City Police Department is also asking for the public's help in identifying two men who spray-painted a swastika on a Cybertruck on Thursday.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Mar 21, 11:37 PM
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What was that about the right being better than the left again?
Personally I think people should stop pointing fingers...
unfortunately, these activities will probably escalate into violence, instigated by someone with a documented history of that ...
The provocateurs will then just use it for more clicks... more donation cash ... more outrage...
it's all about amping up the xtian nationalists to go out and kill for geezus, and for his chosen prophet on earth ...
The rise in left wing populism is a direct correlation of the rise in right wing populism.
I agree. for every action, there's an opposite reaction. however, the differing ideologies rarely make them equal ...
Stupid is as stupid does. That's all i gotta say.
forestgump/forustrump
"We disagreed with a company’s values so we stopped buying their beer. The left disagreed with the CEO of a company, and they set cars on fire."
the left is all 3 people that were charged torching teslas? by your logic, I guess that makes most all maga xtians pedophiles ...
Wait... They aren't???
And now we have -
Are you trying to say one is better? If so state your case.
Personal injury - none on both counts
Property damage - hundreds of thousands on the vehicles, TBD on the sidewalk repair.........
Slow rate of speed so people could get out of the way and nobody was hurt, Left is better than the right at being complete assholes when it comes to destruction it would seem, so ounce again you are right, we are not the same.
Intent? Justification? Or just another obtuse obfuscation?
.
I'll continue to condemn assholes on both sides of the fence while you make excuses for your side. We're done here.
Making excuses for driving a car into a crowd of people. That’s where we’re at.
It’s coool bro! They all dove outta the way! No harm, no foul. No blood, no ambulance.
Not like we haven't heard it from the rightwing before...
" The man who drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Va., killing one person and injuring 35"
Neo-Nazi Who Rammed His Car Into Charlottesville Protesters Gets Life : NPR
“You also had some very fine people on both sides,” - Donald J Trump
What's going to be their excuse with the next person who intentionally maims or kills someone?
Prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, are you okay with prosecuting the people who firebomb tesla dealerships as domestic terrorists?
So the anti-Elon idiots take out their frustration on Tesla dealers and owners. How does that pass the logic test?
Are these latest fools the present version of Antifa and BLM thugs?
I'm thinking lazy fucking takers with nothing better to do than stand in front of a dealership selling cars they will never be able to afford.
... and we have a winner. no more entries please ...
Haven't I been saying that this escalation of dumbassery is bad on both counts? Or do you just want to keep playing partisan games until someone really is dead?
being the glass half full type, those teslas sure do burn a lot longer time than they can travel down the road ...