FOX 9 / Minneapolis Police
CV NEWS FEED // A Minnesota state employee caught on video vandalizing Tesla vehicles will avoid criminal charges under a controversial decision by Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty, drawing sharp rebukes from police and victims.
Surveillance footage captured 33-year-old Dylan Bryan Adams, a data analyst for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, keying multiple Teslas and stripping paint from the vehicles while walking his dog near a dealership in Minneapolis.
The damage totaled over $20,000 and impacted at least six victims.
Despite the evidence, Moriarty’s office declined to file criminal charges against Adams. Instead, Adams was placed in a diversion program intended to help him keep his job and pay restitution.
“This is an approach taken in many property crime cases and helps to ensure the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution, as well as reducing the likelihood of repeat offenses,” said a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, according to CBS News.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the decision, saying it undermines police work and justice for victims.
“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job,” O’Hara said in a statement to KARE. “It identified and investigated a crime trend, identified, and arrested a suspect, and presented a case file to the Hennepin County Attorney Office for consideration of charges. This case impacted at least six different victims and totaled over $20,000 in damages.”
“Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office. Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”
The decision comes amid broader criticism of Moriarty’s progressive policies, including prior plea deals that outraged families of violent crime victims and stirred legal controversy.
Tesla dealerships nationwide have faced a surge in vandalism in recent weeks, often linked to backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Earlier this month, Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the coordinated attacks on Tesla sites “domestic terrorism,” vowing that offenders would be held accountable.
