Trans-identified male charged with vandalizing Chicago-area Tesla service center

A trans-identified male has been arrested and charged with the vandalizing of a newly built Tesla service center located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. This comes as Tesla dealerships and service centers have been the targets of increasing attacks across the country.

Erin L. White, previously known as Evan T. White, has been charged with felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanor criminal trespass, per the Chicago Sun-Times, and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. White was arrested on Friday.

Spray painted on the outside of the building in the 900 block of Dundee Road in white paint were the phrases "Trump Sold Us," "F*ck Elon Musk," and "Trans Rights Are Human Rights."

According to the Arlington Cardinal, White lives within a half mile of the service center, and works as a bartender. White’s LinkedIn page lists "She/They" pronouns.

White is accused of disregarding the "no trespassing" sign posted along the fence line that surrounds the yet-to-be-open property, owned by the Shorewood Property Group, and remaining on the land. White is also accused of knowingly damaging the property by defacing the windows lining the front of the building. Damage was said to be in excess of $500 but less than $10,000.

This is the latest incident at a Tesla service center in recent weeks, with dealerships and centers across the country being targetted with vandalism and attacks. On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared that the attacks on the Tesla buildings were "domestic terrorism" and pledged “severe consequences” for those involved, “including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."

"The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences. We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."

Others arrested for separate attacks on Tesla buildings include trans-identified male Lucy Grace Nelson, who is accused of vandalizing and placing incendiary devices at a Colorado dealership, and Adam Matthew Lansky, a transgender person who is accused of launching several firebombing and shooting attacks aimed at an Oregon dealership.