An 83-year-old man has been accused of causing $23,000 in damages to five Tesla vehicles at a Long Island shopping mall, ranting to police about his disdain for Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump who he said should “fucking die.”
The New York Post reports that Victor Divergilio, an 83-year-old resident of Long Island, New York, has been charged with criminal mischief after allegedly scratching five Tesla vehicles parked at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City on Sunday afternoon. According to a criminal complaint, Divergilio used a key to carve up the vehicles, resulting in an estimated $23,000 in damages.
Police reports indicate that when confronted with video footage of the incident, Divergilio initially denied the allegations, stating, “Yeah, that’s me but I wasn’t keying any cars. Yea but I was getting my keys because I had just paid and I wanted to see how much money I had.” However, the complaint also noted that Divergilio went on a violent rant about Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump, allegedly saying, “Musk owns Tesla yea, he’s getting thrown out at the end of the month. He should die alright so should Trump fucking die.”
In a brief phone interview with the Post on Wednesday, Divergilio sang a different tune, denying the allegations and suggesting that the incident was a misunderstanding. “If I did something against him, it wouldn’t be simply scratching their cars,” he said, referring to Musk, though he admitted he was not a fan of the billionaire who has led the Trump administration’s cut-seeking Department of Government Efficiency. “Well, I don’t like him but I would never do that,” Divergilio added.
During his arraignment in Nassau County Criminal Court on Wednesday morning, Divergilio was ordered by a judge to undergo a mental health evaluation and was released. He is due back in court on April 30.
Speaking to the Post shortly after his release, Divergilio, who described himself as a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD, maintained his innocence. “I didn’t do what they said. I just spent a horrible night in jail like a criminal,” he stated. “I walked through and they say I scratched the cars.”
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
