The Hopkinton Police Deparment is seeking information for a man who allegedly vandalized a Tesla at the parking lot at College Rock. He is pictured holding a blue trash barrel that was left on the side of the vehicle. PHOTO/HOPKINTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Hopkinton Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who allegedly vandalized a Tesla on Thursday evening at the College Rock parking area.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m., said Sgt. Detective Gregg DeBoer in an interview with the Independent.

“The victim told me that he frequents College Rock and likes to walk there,” he said. “It’s a great little recreation area where there are a ton of walkers and rock climbers. He was walking on the trail that is right near the Holliston and Milford town lines.

“He said that everyone there is always friendly,” DeBoer continued. “He thinks he has seen this man there before, but he didn’t appear to be suspicious because he was dressed like he was going for a walk or a hike.”

A special security feature on the Tesla captured a video of the alleged vandal, allowing police to share images of him via social media. Screenshots showed him holding a blue trash barrel, which DeBoer said was placed up against the parked Tesla.

“It was the strangest thing,” the veteran detective added. “There was nobody else around the parking area at the time.

This person appears to be a white male who is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin build. He has dark hair and dark facial hair. At the time, he was wearing a greenish blue light jacket and heavy-rimmed eyeglasses.

DeBoer said he is not aware of any other incidents of people vandalizing Teslas in Hopkinton. In Massachusetts and throughout the country, people have been protesting in front of Tesla dealerships or vandalizing Teslas in recent weeks to signify their disapproval of the political influence of billionaire company owner Elon Musk.

In March, a Roslindale man was arrested in Brookline after being accused of vandalizing several Teslas over a weekend. He claimed he had the right to deface other people’s property as an expression of “free speech.”

“The sad thing is that 99.999% of the people who are driving Teslas are good people who just want to drive energy-efficient vehicles,” DeBoer noted. “They aren’t trying to make any kind of a political statement.

“I don’t want to demonize the person who did this,” he continued. “But he has to be held accountable for what he has done. I have learned over the years that sometimes good people make bad decisions.”

DeBoer asked that anyone with information on the pictured individual to contact him at gdeboer@hopkintonpd.org or at 508-497-3401, ext. 1279.