A New Mexico man was arrested last week after Amazon’s voice-activated technology, “Alexa,” called 911, according to police.
On July 2, 28-year-old Eduardo Barros became angry with his girlfriend while the two were housesitting in the town of Tijeras, about 15 miles from Albuquerque, the New York Post reported. Barros allegedly began beating the unidentified victim and threatened to kill her.
The altercation began after Barros allegedly discovered a text message the woman received from another man, and accused her of cheating.
“Barros told her she was not going anywhere and he was going to kill her,” reads an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Post.
According to the Post, Barros waved a gun at his girlfriend, threatening her before allegedly asking, “Did you call the sheriffs?”
Authorities believe that question was picked up by the hands-free virtual assistant, which responds to verbal commands, prompting the 911 call.
Deputy Felicia Romero of the Bernallillo County Sheriff’s Department confirmed this information to the Post on Monday. Romero said the Alexa device was connected to a landline telephone in the home.
“The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life,” Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III told ABC News. “This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation.”
Responding deputies were able to remove the unidentified victim and her daughter from the home. She suffered minor injuries, but was not hospitalized. Her daughter was not harmed, Romero told ABC.
Barros, a convicted felon, was taken into custody after a crisis negotiation team and a SWAT team arrived to the residence to stabilize the situation. He is being held without bail on multiple charges, including possession of a firearm, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.
(H/T: New York Post)