The plot has dramatically thickened in an incident that Twitter boss Elon Musk claimed involved a “stalker” who had been following a car in Los Angeles that was carrying his son.
Mr Musk’s allegations came just before he went on a banning spree at the social media firm suspending accounts which he alleged had shared his private jet’s real time location and put his family at risk.
However, police have now said a member of Mr Musk’s own security team was a “suspect” following the incident.
Last week, Mr Musk tweeted that any account “doxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended”.
Doxing is when details are put online that could reveal where someone lives or other personal information.
He then claimed a car carrying his son was being followed by a “crazy stalker (thinking it was me) who later blocked car from moving and climbed onto hood”.
Mr Musk also posted a picture of the supposed “stalker” and asked his 120 million Twitter followers if anyone recognised the driver.
Around the same time Twitter suspended the account @ElonJet which used publicly available information to send tweets when Mr Musk’s private jet was in the air. The tweets contained no information about whether Mr Musk or his family were on any of the flights.
The location of the jet can still be found on other websites.
The alleged stalking incident occurred some distance from the airport where Mr Musk’s jet was parked. There was also no evidence given that the driver had seen the @ElonJet account.
Twitter also suspended the account of the teen who had set up @ElonJet and temporarily took down the accounts of several journalists who had been reporting on the private jet brouhaha.
Police name Musk security staff as ‘suspect’
Mr Musk did not file a police report about the incident despite his concerns.
However, it has now emerged that the driver who was filmed, and who Mr Musk tweeted about, did indeed go to the cops.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a 29 year old Connecticut man said he had a verbal confrontation with a man that night and was then struck by his vehicle.
Police in South Pasadena, in Los Angeles’ north east, said an incident unfolded at a petrol station at around 10pm on December 13.
“The victim indicated he had just exited the northbound 110 freeway and stopped to use his telephone in a parking lot” South Pasadena police told the newspaper.
“While parked, the victim stated another vehicle pulled directly in front of him, blocking his path.”
The Connecticut man alleged the driver left the other car, came up to his vehicle and accused him of “following him on the freeway”.
Both drivers filmed the incident.
It’s alleged the man in the other vehicle struck the man and the drove off.
The 29-year-old told Police the incident seemed “purely coincidental”.
Police added that they later, “learned the suspect involved in this case is believed to be a member of Elon Musk’s security team”.
“Detectives do not believe Mr Musk was present during the confrontation.”
The Connecticut man identified himself to the Washington Post as Brandon Collado.
He claimed to the newspaper that the mother of two of Mr Musk’s children – the singer Grimes – was sending him coded messages via Instagram.
Grimes has been stalked in the past and the incident occurred in the vicinity of her home. But Mr Collado said he was dropping off an UberEats delivery at the time.
Police have said they are still looking into the actions of Mr Collado that night.