Video footage depicts an arsonist igniting paper and inserting it below the wheel arch of one of many Tesla Mannequin Ys that was subsequently set ablaze
1 hour in the past
San Francisco authorities are investigating two incidents wherein a pair of Tesla Mannequin Y automobiles caught hearth inside a span of simply two blocks early Saturday morning. Footage of one of many incidents reveals an unidentified particular person lighting what seems to be paper on hearth and inserting it atop one of many electrical crossover’s tires, resulting in an intense blaze.
The Mannequin Y, whose arsonist was caught on digicam, was positioned on Shipley Road, whereas the opposite automobile was located on Bonifacio Road. The proprietor of the primary Tesla, Van Vuong, resides in Seattle, Washington. He was in San Francisco for the weekend visiting his sons at dentistry faculty when the fireplace occurred, he informed SFGate. He didn’t study of the fireplace till he went out to take it for a drive later that morning and located solely ashes.
“We walked by it, considering, ‘Oh my God, look what occurred right here,’” Vuong mentioned. “It didn’t take lengthy earlier than I noticed, ‘Shoot, the place’s my automobile?’”
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Learn: Crowd Burns Down Waymo Robotaxi In San Francisco
Arsonist units 2 @Tesla Mannequin Y’s, 1 blk aside, on hearth in SF SOMA early Saturday morning. Unique video of man lighting papers he placed on high of tire. Sped up vid reveals flames destroy SUV. Proprietor asks why goal Tesla. @KPIXtv story w/ vid & interview:https://t.co/6RkSOduUBo pic.twitter.com/4ZLOJVdnZd
— Da Lin (@DaKPIX) February 26, 2024
Unable to succeed in the San Francisco Police Division via its non-emergency line, he was compelled to bike to the station to search out out what occurred to his automobile. He expressed shock, stating that he had anticipated his automobile to be secure regardless of being parked on the road in a single day.
In the meantime, the proprietor of the second Mannequin Y that caught hearth final weekend, who recognized himself to the information website merely as Chris, said that his automobile was parked in a neighborhood typically thought of secure. In accordance with The San Francisco Chronicle, he lives within the space and found the fireplace when he couldn’t find his EV as he was getting ready to run errands along with his spouse and seven-month-old youngster.
“We didn’t even hear any sirens or explosions final evening when it occurred, so we have been fully shocked once we couldn’t discover our automobile,” the 33-year outdated informed the newspaper. “First thought was possibly I parked some other place, then second thought was possibly somebody stole it, then noticed the ashes.”
Though no footage of the fireplace that burned Chris’s Tesla has but emerged, police informed him that they’re in search of surveillance video from close by buildings, and consider that he could have additionally been the sufferer of arson.
Thus far, no motive for one or a pair of arsonists to focus on Tesla Mannequin Y EVs particularly has emerged. Nevertheless, these incidents comply with one other hearth that engulfed a Waymo autonomous check automobile within the metropolis two weeks in the past. It’s price noting that the Waymo hearth was set by a crowd of individuals, although.
