Concerned onlooker shares photo of troubling sighting on city street: 'Just saw it like this'

A picture posted by a Redditor in the r/orangecounty subreddit pulled EV security into the spotlight again — and not in a good way.

In the photo, a black Tesla sits stranded in Los Alamitos, propped up on one lone wheel. The Reddit user explained, "It's pretty quiet but recently a car got stolen and now this."

Another person chimed in, writing, "Same thing happened in Rossmoor a couple weeks ago."

Car thieves swiping wheels isn't exactly new. But targeting EVs, especially in neighborhoods seen as calm, shows how vulnerable electric rides can be.

Someone else couldn't believe it: "Really? Not a place I'd expect this…"

But thieves know these parts are pricey — those wheels can fetch thousands.

EV vandalism like this does more than drain wallets. It slows the shift away from gas-powered cars. More stolen parts and repairs mean fewer folks will be ready to swap their old rides for cleaner ones.

Even when folks complain about pollution from battery manufacturing and charging, an electric car still cuts way more air pollution than gas guzzlers.

Some people cut down charging costs and pollution even more by pairing an EV with solar panel systems at home. EnergySage can help you compare solar quotes without the headaches.

Redditors were quick to point out that Tesla's Sentry Mode could have caught the culprits.

Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely 🥰 Somewhat 😮‍💨 Depends on the time of year 😷 Not at all 🤢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Teslas video record their surroundings if it detects people so this seems like a dumb thing to do," one person noted.

The original poster said, "I didn't even think of that. I don't have a Tesla and I don't know who owns this car. Just saw it like this down the street from my house."

The impact of wheel thefts, scratches, and charging station damage piles up. Such incidents chip away at the trust people need to ditch gas-guzzling cars for good. In other places, people have keyed Teslas, spray-painted them, and even smashed windows — all caught on camera.

One person cautioned, "Don't let your wheel subscription expire, or this could be you." (Just one problem: Tesla's coverage doesn't include vandalism.)

Another user added, "I hope sentry mode was on, annoying to see."

"Welcome to the future," someone else said.

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