Vancouver police refused to reveal the name of a suspect arrested and subsequently released in connection with a vandalism attack targeting a Tesla dealership.
True North reached out to the Vancouver Police Department on why the decision was made to not disclose the suspect’s name despite the high-profile nature of the attacks which are trending across Canada and the U.S.
“We aren’t able to name the suspect as he hasn’t been criminally charged” Visintin responded.
Vistin did not disclose which courtroom the suspect would be attending, given no charges have been approved.
When asked if any of the incidents involved repeat suspects, Visintin said on behalf of the VPD: “We don’t have names on the other suspects in the files as those suspects haven’t been identified yet.”
Authorities believe those responsible for the rash of Tesla vandalisms are politically motivated by Elon Musk’s connections and support for U.S. President Donald Trump.
The latest incident happened Friday morning near Burrard Street and West 4th Avenue when police were called to a Tesla dealership at 1:30 a.m. following a witness report of someone defacing the dealership with “obscenities,” profanity, and at least one swastika.
In a Saturday news release, the Vancouver Police Department’s Cst. Tania Vistin said there have been “eight confirmed acts of mischief in Vancouver” on Tesla dealerships since Jan. 1, which amounts to one every ten days.
Vancouver police are blaming the backlash against Tesla on Elon Musk himself.
Vistin said, “police believe (the attacks) are politically motivated and in opposition to Tesla owner Elon Musk’s political affiliation with the U.S. government.”
The suspect involved in the latest incident on Friday morning, 27, has been released and is set to appear in criminal court on May 15.