ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A St. Petersburg man is accused of stealing a Tesla Cybertruck while on a test drive and causing approximately $20,000 in damages to the vehicle, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.Â
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Timeline:
According to a criminal affidavit, on Nov. 17, Richel Valdivia, 26, agreed to test drive a 2025 Tesla Cybertruck for 30 minutes from the dealership at 3224 35th Street North.
The report says Valdivia never returned the vehicle, instead keeping it for approximately two days.
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
On Nov. 19, an assistant manager at the Tesla dealership found the stolen Cybertruck at Valdivia’s home. The vehicle had been seriously damaged, and the dealer tag had been removed, the affidavit said.
The damage included a smashed rearview mirror, a missing GPS monitor and a detached sun visor on the driver’s side. The front fender flares had been partially torn off. Small rocks and a pair of men’s underwear were found inside the flares.
PCSO says the assistant manager was able to get video footage from the Cybertruck, which showed Valdivia striking the rearview mirror multiple times, destroying the rearview camera and shattering the mirror’s glass.
Valdivia was arrested and faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle and criminal mischief.
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a criminal affidavit and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.