Image: Nick Kyrgios Instagram
The athlete limited the vehicle’s speed and provided real-time location updates to authorities
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios recently played a key role in helping police track his stolen Tesla Model X after a man allegedly took it from his mother at gunpoint in Canberra’s north. The details of the incident were disclosed during the alleged robber’s bail hearing at the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, reports The Canberra Times.
According to the police documents, the accused man, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, knocked on the Kyrgios family home door around 8:30 am on Monday. Nick’s mother, Norlaila, answered the door and was confronted by a masked man pointing a long-barreled firearm at her. The suspect demanded the keys to her son’s green Tesla and instructions on how to drive it.
Norlaila handed over the keys and managed to escape back into the house, where she screamed for help. Nick Kyrgios and his manager, Daniel Horsfall, who were both inside the house, immediately called emergency services. Kyrgios used the Tesla app on his phone to limit the vehicle’s speed to 80 km/h and provided real-time location updates to the police.
The police tracked the Tesla and attempted to arrest the driver, but he managed to speed off. Despite this, Kyrgios continued to monitor the car’s movements and relayed them to the police, leading them to catch up with the vehicle again in Ainslie. Tactical police then blocked the Tesla in a driveway, and the driver was forcibly removed from the car.
The alleged robber actively resisted arrest and was Tasered by the police. He was taken to the hospital for medical attention before being charged with aggravated robbery, driving a vehicle without consent, failing to stop for police, driving while suspended, and resisting a public official.
During the court hearing, Magistrate Glenn Theakston denied the accused bail, citing his significant criminal history and the risk of reoffending. The defendant is expected to appear in court later this month.
The Tesla app is leaps and bounds ahead of any other automaker mobile apps. Recently, a Trip Planner feature was added to the app, which lets users control all aspects of their vehicle, including climate, preconditioning, opening doors and windows, checking Sentry Mode, farting (of course!) and more. The app also lets users initiate over-the-air software updates and check release notes as well. You can bet Krygios was glad to have had a Tesla in this situation.
