Public servant accused of vandalizing Teslas (Reprodução/Divulgação)
Decision not to file criminal charges sparks police criticism and raises questions about the prosecutor’s approach to property crimes
A public servant from the state of Minnesota, under Governor Tim Walz, will not face criminal charges after being suspected of causing over $20,000 in damage to multiple Tesla vehicles — a decision that the local police chief called “another betrayal of the victims.”
Dylan Bryan Adams, 33, a state government employee, was reportedly caught damaging the cars while walking his dog, scratching surfaces and removing paint from the vehicles.
Although the police claim to have evidence pointing to serious crimes, Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty opted for a diversion program instead of filing formal charges.
Dylan Adams, who works for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, is accused of causing damage to several Tesla vehicles (Divulgação)
“This is an approach used in many property crime cases and helps ensure that the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution, while reducing the likelihood of recidivism,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement released by CBS News.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that the damages recorded in each incident constitute a crime and expressed frustration with the prosecutor’s decision.
“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job. It identified and investigated a criminal trend, arrested the suspect, and forwarded the case to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for charge review,” O’Hara told KARE.
According to him, the case involved at least six victims and resulted in damages exceeding $20,000. “Any frustration regarding the prosecutor’s decision should be directed exclusively to her office,” he added. “Our investigators are always frustrated when cases they’ve worked on are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”
Adams was arrested about a month after Governor Walz made a joke during an event in Wisconsin, saying that the drop in Tesla stock gave him “a little boost during the day.”
According to a spokesperson for the governor, Adams works at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and does not hold a politically appointed position — he is one of more than 40,000 state employees.
Mary Moriarty took office as Hennepin County Prosecutor in January 2023, after easily winning the nonpartisan election. A former public defender, she has faced criticism for her softer policies, which in some cases have allowed suspects of serious crimes to remain free.
In her first week in office, she dismissed a case involving a man accused of raping a teenage girl, citing misconduct by the previous prosecutor’s office, as reported by CBS News.
In another controversial episode, Moriarty was removed from the investigation into the murder of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever. The prosecutor had offered plea deals to two teenagers accused of the crime in exchange for testimony against the alleged mastermind. After intense public backlash, the case was transferred to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Source and images: NyPost. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
