PINELLAS COUNTY, FL – A St. Petersburg man was arrested after deputies say he failed to return a Tesla Cybertruck taken out for a scheduled demo drive and later caused significant damage to the vehicle.
According to arrest affidavits from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Richel J. Valdivia took a 2025 Tesla Cybertruck for a 30-minute demo drive on November 17, 2025, from the Tesla location at 4601 34th Street North. Valdivia provided his Florida driver’s license and signed the required demo drive agreement before leaving.
Deputies state Valdivia did not return the vehicle as agreed. The Cybertruck remained in his possession for about two days. On November 19, an assistant manager from Tesla went to Valdivia’s residence at 3224 35th Street North and recovered the vehicle…