What to Know
- Over 30 cars were vandalized, causing about $100,000 in damage, at a Hyundai dealership in Temecula.
- Police and employees detained the man, who claimed to be the devil and wielded a knife.
- The man smashed windshields, slashed tires, scratched paint and carved satanic imagery into cars parked at the dealership.
More than 30 cars were vandalized by a knife-wielding man claiming to be the devil on Saturday morning in Temecula, a witness said.
Employees at the Temecula Hyundai dealership confronted the man after he was found smashing windows, keying cars and slashing tires in the parking lot.
"It was exciting there, for a bit," said dealership manager Steve Nicholson. "We had made up our mind [and] said ‘we’re going to subdue him one way or another until the police get here.'"
Employees were able to surround the man and hold him down until officials from the Temecula Police Department arrived and helped them safely detain him, he said.
"When [the police] asked him for his name, he said, 'I don’t have a name – I’m the devil,'" said Nicholson.
The man was carrying a knife he allegedly used to carve symbols of devil worship into cars parked around the lot - some of which belonged to employees. He also carried a backpack that had more weapons in it, according to Nicholson, who estimated around $100,000 worth of damages were caused in total.
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Reports of vandalism were received from other dealerships and business in the area overnight, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
