Pleasant Prairie, Wis. — In a case that has drawn considerable local attention, 71-year-old James M. Jefferson was formally charged today with Felony Criminal Damage to Property after allegedly vandalizing a Tesla. The incident, captured by the vehicle’s “Sentry Mode” surveillance system, set off a week-long investigation that has now culminated in charges against Jefferson.

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On February 15, 2025, Officer Padilla of the Pleasant Prairie Police Department responded to a call at the Costco located at 7707 94th Avenue. When the vehicle’s owner returned to her 2019 Blue Tesla, she discovered large scratches extending across both the driver’s and passenger’s side doors. According to her, the damage—penetrating the paint down to the metal—was estimated to cost around $10,000 in repairs, and she stressed that at no point had she given anyone permission to tamper with her vehicle.

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The Tesla’s “Sentry Mode” had recorded the entire episode. The footage showed a man—initially described as being in his 50s or 60s, with a white goatee, dressed in all black and wearing a baseball cap—making a suspicious motion near the car at 2:06 p.m. The suspect was later seen returning at 2:08 p.m., this time donning a blue flannel shirt. Although the video was widely shared on social media, the Tesla’s owner had it taken down following Jefferson’s arrest.

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Detective Steinmetz later reviewed additional surveillance from inside Costco. The store’s cameras captured a man matching the suspect’s description using a self-checkout at 2:25 p.m. before exiting the premises at 2:26 p.m. This evidence, combined with body camera footage from a prior incident where a man in a blue flannel shirt was recorded, ultimately led investigators to positively identify Jefferson as the suspect.

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On February 22, 2025, at approximately 12:15 p.m., Detective Steinmetz confronted Jefferson at his residence on the 8900 block of Cooper Road. When presented with photographic evidence from the surveillance footage—first showing him leaving the store, and then keying the Tesla—Jefferson repeatedly denied any involvement. “I don’t think so,” he stated, later adding, “I don’t have, I didn’t do it so.”

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Kenosha County Court Commissioner William Michel II set a cash bail of $1,000 for Jefferson. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 3.5 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.