Lipstick vandalism? The latest Boise-area attack on a Tesla involved makeup

A 2024 Tesla Cybertruck was given an extreme makeover about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday in the Boise area, after a vandal smeared lipstick across the truck’s stainless steel surface.

The suspect, who was seen arriving in a red sedan, is suspected of causing an estimated $500 worth of damage to the vehicle, according to a news release from the Meridian Police Department. Police reported that they had identified a suspect by Friday afternoon.

The lipstick was used to draw on the side of the Tesla Cybertruck, but what was drawn and the shade of lipstick were not disclosed in the news release.

This crime comes amid a long string of Tesla-related vandalisms, one of which occurred in April and involved $100,000 in damages after an individual vandalized vehicles and property at the Tesla dealership in Meridian. The FBI was contacted during that incident.

In a survey of more than 500 Tesla owners, conducted by Guardian Service, an online insurer, it was determined that nearly half reported instances of intentional damage to their vehicle.

Moreover, as tensions continue to rise between those who own Tesla cars and those who oppose Elon Musk, nearly three-fourths of Tesla owners who responded feel as though they are more likely to be victims of targeted vehicle-related vandalism than those who don’t drive Teslas.