Tesla Camera Catches Thief Breaking Into Car at Texas Beauty Spot

A thief was captured breaking into a Tesla by the car's own security camera at a Texas beauty spot. Now the car's owner is hoping footage of the break-in will help police catch the culprit.

The footage was captured on Sunday afternoon while it was parked at the Pennybacker Bridge Overlook in Austin.

Patrice Tompkins said she was enjoying a trip to the popular visitors' spot with friends when an alert popped up on her mobile phone saying the Tesla's alarm was going off, reported CBS19.

She said: "We finished the hike, came back and walked around the car and I saw the broken glass all over the floor."

Tompkins told local media that she activated her Tesla Model 3's Sentry Mode a few months previously and this was the first time she had to retrieve video from it.

Tesla cars are well known for their security features and the Sentry Mode adds an extra layer of security by continually monitoring the environment around the car, experts say.

Tompkins told CBS19: "I was really surprised that he would break into a Tesla. I figured that he probably wasn't knowledgeable that there's cameras all around. It's just not a smart vehicle to break into."

Tompkins added that the thief grabbed her purse but it did not contain any valuables as she had moved most things to her rucksack for a day's hike.

She said: "I just threw the empty purse in the backseat, not even thinking about it."

Destiny Silva, of Austin Police Department, told local media that the spot was also popular with thieves. "Thieves know there's so many cars in that area and that location where they can access them and attempt to burglarize vehicles."

Elon Musk's electric car giant Tesla is set to unveil innovations on the technology that powers its fleet of vehicles early next week.

Known as "Battery Day," the billionaire CEO has long teased that his company is on the cusp of revealing news that could change the course of the EV industry, describing it in a Q1 2020 earnings call as "one of the most exciting days in Tesla's history."

On September 11, Musk teased on social media that the event would showcase "many exciting things."

Speculation is also growing that Musk is set to discuss a "million mile" pack, a power source with the potential to last for years, enable faster charging and lower costs, the last of which could result in more affordable consumer options.