Footage circulating on social media reportedly shows a man in Toronto keying a neighbor’s Tesla before walking into his apartment.
Keying a car involves deliberately scratching its paint with a key or sharp object, normally as an act of vandalism.
Little does the man realize that the entire incident has been caught by the vehicle’s camera.
Watch:
Guy keys this @Tesla in Toronto and then unlocks the door to his apartment.
All caught on Sentry Mode. pic.twitter.com/STsA8he3zS
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) March 20, 2025
According to Tesla’s website, this feature is known as “Sentry Mode,” which is part of the company’s high-level security offerings.
”When enabled, your vehicle’s cameras and sensors (if equipped) remain powered on and ready to record suspicious activity around your vehicle when Model 3 is locked and in Park,” the website states.
”Think of Sentry Mode as an intelligent vehicle security system that alerts you when it detects possible threats nearby.”
Unfortunately because the man is in Canada, he is unlikely to face the same severity of prosecution that he would in the United States.
Under Canadian law, keying a car is a criminal offense under the Criminal Code, typically charged as Mischief (Section 430).
Penalties range from a summary conviction, up to two years less a day in jail and/or fines, to an indictable offense carrying up to ten years imprisonment for significant damage.
Courts may also order offenders to pay restitution to cover repair costs.
Smile, you’re on camera
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 20, 2025
The attack is part of a wave of leftist violence and intimidation against Elon Musk’s support for President Trump and role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Department of Justice would be pursuing the harshest possible penalties of those found guilty of such acts of domestic terrorism.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement.
“Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
