Gary Zhou 
Tesla Sentry Mode recently caught a burglar breaking into a nearby car who had no idea he was being recorded by the car next to him. After successfully breaking into one car, the vandal moved on to the all-electric Model Y that was recording him, but he gave up when he couldn’t break through the reinforced glass.
A Clinton, Utah gym was the perfect place for the burglar to attempt to steal some free goods from some hard-working people. Unfortunately for him, Tesla’s Sentry Mode feature, which triggers and records nearby activities, caught the entire 20-second burglary on camera. While staring directly at the Tesla Model Y’s exterior camera, the thief successfully broke a vehicle window and grabbed a small bag of valuables. Even after many years of Sentry Mode videos being posted to the internet, vandals, thieves, and criminals still do not understand that breaking into a car parked near a Tesla would almost definitely result in your indictment. The clip can be viewed here.
When the Model Y’s owner was burglarized, he was working out at a nearby gym. Several police officers were still on the scene questioning eyewitnesses to get a picture of the suspect when she came out to get back into her vehicle. Cheri, the Model Y owner, had what may be the most important piece of evidence: a lengthy video taken by her vehicle, which used its external cameras to document the entire incident.
“I was angry, and then I was excited because we got you, sucker,” Cheri said to KUTV, a CBS affiliate. The burglar was well concealed by using a mask, gloves, a ski hat, and a hoodie to hide most of their appearance. However, the Model Y’s cameras seem to have captured enough that local police seem confident that it will lead to an arrest.
“The funny thing is, when you look on the video, you can see people are walking in and out of the gym, and they have no idea that the guy is crouched down, getting ready to steal,” Cheri said. “They have no idea. I’m definitely going to pay more attention.”
Gyms seem to be a common place for burglaries because those working out are focused on the task at hand and not monitoring their vehicles for potential break-ins. “It’s an easily targeted place where we get a lot of car burglaries,” Officer Lexi Benson of the Kaysville Police said. “The suspects know these people are inside — they’re busy, they’re working out, they’re not looking out the windows.”
In the past, Tesla’s Sentry Mode has aided in the resolution of various vandalism cases. Surprisingly, the well-known feature hasn’t deterred any burglars and vandals from carrying out their heinous actions. Hopefully, this would be another feather in Tesla’s cap with advanced safety features.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect is urged to call Clinton Police at 801-614-0800.
