Parking Cop Caught Issuing Fraudulent Citation By Tesla's Hidden Camera

A couple's Tesla cameras captured a parking enforcement officer in San Diego, California, allegedly issuing a fraudulent ticket. Vanessa and Donald Pearce parked near Izola Bakery in East Village on Saturday (December 6) and paid for 30 minutes of parking. When Vanessa returned 20 minutes later to extend their parking time, she found an $85 citation on their car.

The Pearces confronted the officer, who initially claimed their car had been parked since 8 a.m. However, video footage from their Tesla's Sentry Mode showed the officer marking their tire with chalk at 12:55 p.m. and immediately issuing the citation. The video, shared on social media, has garnered over 800,000 views and shows the officer taking photos of the chalk mark as evidence.

Vanessa Pearce expressed her frustration to KUSI, stating, "I was extremely upset. I thought it was a mistake and maybe a glitch in the system." Her husband, Donald, voiced concerns about possible pressure on officers to generate city revenue through parking violations.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) has launched an internal investigation into the incident and confirmed the citation has been dismissed. The officer involved has been in his position for two months. Officer Cesar Jimenez indicated that, depending on the investigation's findings, further scrutiny may be applied to citations issued by the officer.

The Pearces worry this incident may reflect a broader issue, urging city leaders to address potential systemic problems in parking enforcement. The SDPD encourages anyone who believes they received a citation in error to appeal online.