


A man was caught on surveillance footage at a Hobe Sound, Florida, restaurant moving furniture and unplugging an appliance while trying to connect his Tesla to a power source.
The suspect, who authorities haven’t publicly identified, purportedly broke into Harry and the Natives restaurant at around 4:30 a.m. Monday, the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post.
The eatery said the man backed the car up and wedged it between two posts, then went inside to unplug a refrigerator and move patio furniture.
“He had to be drunk or high or something,” baffled restaurant owner Harry MacArthur told West Palm Beach’s WPTV-TV.
The restaurant is closed on Mondays, but Mr. MacArthur went over to feed cats that live on the property and subsequently found tipped chairs and moved tables. He didn’t realize the full extent of what happened until going over Tuesday and reviewing the footage, he told WPEC, also a West Palm Beach station.
Workers at Harry and the Natives told WPEC that the suspect scoped out the scene for a couple of hours before charging his Tesla for nine minutes and leaving the restaurant.
The charging cord used was left behind, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office used it to find the suspect.
“Well, it wasn’t that difficult. He left his charger there, and the charger is generally attached to the car, serialized to the car,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told Tequesta’s WPBF.
The front of the restaurant had some damage, and some perishable supplies were lost because the fridge was unplugged, Mr. MacArthur said.
The restaurant’s Facebook post indicated that the suspect could face trespassing and property damage charges.
Hobe Sound is on the state’s east coast between Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.