Tourist showed up just as California police were towing his Tesla because of footage from Sentry Mode
Published on Jul 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Jul 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A Canadian tourist showed up just as the Oakland Police Department in California was towing his Tesla EV, thanks to footage from the Sentry Mode.
Sentry Mode can record the surroundings of a parked Tesla to ensure its safety, which means it can also help identify any perpetrators in the area if required.
This particular owner was stunned to see his car about to be towed by the cops. But his intervention meant he could find out why they wanted to tow the car.
The whole episode shows why Tesla Sentry Mode has become such an important part of the EV.
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Why did the police want the Tesla Model 3’s footage?
Reports said that the EV in question was linked to a murder case that happened in July.
The aim was to get the footage from Sentry Mode to see if it was usable.
Because of this, the cops went to find the Tesla and started to get ready to tow it in, as they had a warrant for the car.
As this was about to happen at home, the owner showed up and asked what was going on.
The police explained that the footage they needed was linked to a murder case from 2024 and that the footage could assist them.
Fortunately, the owner was able to stop the car from being towed and supply the footage himself.
There are other ways in which the mode can be useful, too.
What did the Tesla Sentry Mode film from the car?
This took place with another Tesla, a Model 3 Performance, as it was parked.
According to the reports, the Tesla Model 3 was parked when it recorded someone approaching the car.
It turned out that someone in question had a baseball bat with them and wanted to vandalize the car.
In the footage of the incident, we can see that the Model 3 was attacked by this man.
They it it several times before carrying on with their day.
@adidasemoji GOD IS GOOD !!! But now I'm unsure of how to go about it I will see my options and go from there ! but thank God
♬ FEIN sped up – ₉⁹₉
But Sentry Mode enabled the police to identify the attacker and have them arrested around 24 hours later.
That meant the owner of the car was able to press charges against the suspect.
Tesla certainly can pack some excellent features into its EVs.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
