Windows Smashed at The Forge and Foam Sprayed On Connectors at Tesla Supercharger Station in Bloomington Overnight

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Connectors at a Tesla charging station on Bloomington’s west side were damaged when they were filled with spray foam. (Photo by The Bloomingtonian)

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (April 3, 2025) — A string of overnight incidents targeted several locations in Bloomington, leaving behind broken windows and damaged Tesla electric vehicle chargers. It’s unclear at this time if the incidents are related.

A driver who pulled up in a Tesla — a loaner while their used Tesla Model 3 was being serviced — expressed frustration at the scene. “Oh, man,” they said after seeing the damage. The driver told The Bloomingtonian they chose a Tesla for its performance, noting it can go from 0 to 60 in three seconds, and emphasized they did not buy it because of Elon Musk. They said they have enough charge left in the vehicle to get by and chose not to use the vandalized charging station.

According to a message posted Thursday morning in a Slack channel by Victoria Crawley, Head of Operations at The Mill, multiple buildings including The Forge, The Mill, and The Kiln were vandalized overnight. Crawley confirmed that all staff and members are safe and that The Mill is working with the Bloomington Police Department to ensure ongoing safety.

At The Forge, several windows were shattered, including a high window near the top of the building. Workers were seen cleaning up the broken glass Thursday as construction managers surveyed the damage. A person at the site said one of the windows alone would cost at least $1,000 to replace, suggesting total repair costs could run into the thousands.

Across town, several Tesla Superchargers located outside the Fresh Thyme Market on Bloomington’s west side were also vandalized. Foam was used to fill in the charging connectors — a tactic reminiscent of vandalism targeting downtown parking meters in Bloomington several years ago.

The damage is reminiscent of a series of anti-Starbucks vandalism incidents more than two decades ago, when windows at a Starbucks on Indiana Avenue near the IU President’s Office were smashed repeatedly, eventually leading to the installation of bulletproof glass.

Tesla properties have been the target of vandalism in other U.S. cities amid protests against the company and its CEO Elon Musk, who was installed by Donald Trump to dismantle the United States government. While many of those demonstrations have remained peaceful, some acts of vandalism have drawn threats from United States President Donald J. Trump. In March, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said those caught vandalizing Tesla facilities would face charges related to domestic terrorism.

However, in Indiana, vandalism is legally referred to as “criminal mischief” and is governed by Indiana Code § 35-43-1-2. This statute outlines various offenses related to the intentional or reckless damage or defacement of property without the owner’s consent. The severity of the charges and corresponding penalties depend on factors such as the extent of the damage and the nature of the property affected.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The post Windows Smashed at The Forge and Foam Sprayed On Connectors at Tesla Supercharger Station in Bloomington Overnight first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.