Man tries to unlock Tesla door with signal transmission device, arrested for attempted theft

A 46-year-old man has been arrested for attempted theft after he was allegedly caught loitering at a Marina Bay car park and trying to open a Tesla on Saturday (June 13).

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the car owner, Zhang Yili (transliteration), 39, said the incident occurred at around 7pm while she was attending GastroBeats with her husband and friends. She had parked at a nearby open-air car park.

GastroBeats is a food and music festival held annually at Bayfront Event Space. 

The fitness instructor said her car was in sentry mode when she received a phone alert at 7.23pm indicating that someone was attempting to open the vehicle's door.

Tesla's sentry mode is a security system that uses the car's exterior cameras and sensors to monitor and record suspicious activity while it is parked and locked.

"At first I thought it might be that someone had mistaken my car and opened the wrong door, because I had a similar experience before, so I wasn't too nervous," said Zhang. 

However, she decided to return to the car park to check on the situation.

Upon reviewing camera footage, she discovered that a man had been loitering near her vehicle and even pulled on the door handle.

According to the footage, the suspect was seen lingering near the car for about 45 minutes before attempting to open the door, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

Zhang also noticed that he was still walking around her vehicle while frequently observing his surroundings.

"He lingered nearby for about 10 minutes after I returned, watching my car intently. He walked away and came back several times, behaving suspiciously," she added. 

Suspecting the man was searching for an unlocked vehicle, Zhang called the police. 

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police said they received a call for assistance at 11 Marina Boulevard at about 7.35pm. 

A 46-year-old man was arrested for attempted theft and investigations are ongoing.

Zhang said she was later informed by police that a signal transmission device was found on the suspect, though no further details were provided.

She told the Chinese daily that she suspects the device may have been hidden in the man's shoulder bag, and that he may have used it to try to unlock her car. 

Zhang noted that her vehicle was likely targeted as there were several bags visible in the back seat. She added that car owners should always ensure their vehicles are properly locked.

"Even in a relatively safe place like Singapore, we should not let our guard down completely," she added. 

[[nid:737494]]

xingying.koh@asiaone.com