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Watch the moment a Tesla Model 3 scared off 2 men who were kicking its charging port

Tesla sentry mode
A video of the incident recorded by the Tesla Model 3. YouTube/Fernando C
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A Tesla Model 3 sedan scared off two people who tried to remove its charging plug and kicked its charging port.

The incident occurred at the Park MGM hotel in Las Vegas and was recorded by one of the vehicle's cameras. The Model 3's owner posted the video on YouTube on Friday.

"Our model 3 was able to alert us that someone was tampering with the vehicle at 2am in Vegas," the owner wrote, adding: "I was able to report and send this to Park MGM Security. Technology is kind of cool!"

The video begins with a man walking up to the Model 3 and attempting to open one of its doors. A second man tries to pull a charging plug out of the vehicle, also unsuccessfully. The two men kick the Model 3's charging port before the vehicle starts flashing an orange light, then they walk away from it.

According to the vehicle's owner, the Model 3 had Tesla's Sentry Mode feature activated. Introduced in 2019, the feature acts as an advanced alarm system for Tesla vehicles. If it detects what it considers a serious threat, it will sound the vehicle's alarm, turn on its touchscreen, and play music at full volume. It will then send an alert to the owner's phone and record a video of the incident that the owner can download.

Are you a Tesla owner with a Sentry Mode video you'd like to share, or a current or former Tesla employee with an opinion about what it's like to work at the company? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@jkmperu.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.

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I'm a senior transportation reporter at Insider covering electric vehicles, automated-driving technology, and ride-hailing. I joined Insider in October 2017 and previously worked as an intern at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in film and media studies and business economics. You can follow me on Twitter @matousekmark and email me at mmatousek@jkmperu.com.  If you have sensitive information you'd like to share and don't feel comfortable sending it to my work email or via a direct-message on Twitter, you can contact me on the encrypted messaging app Signal at 646-768-4712 or email my encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com. Here's some of my work: Uber insiders are divided over Dara Khosrowshahi's leadership, with some worried the company has become 'boring' and 'confused' about its future Nikola founder Trevor Milton convinced the world he was the next Elon Musk. Insiders say a history of lies brought the billionaire down. 17 hours a day, 7 days a week: Cruise-ship workers describe the grueling conditions they face on the job We talked to 42 insiders about Tesla's factory of the future. They revealed the corners cut to hit ambitious production targets. 70-hour weeks and 'WTF' emails: 42 employees reveal the frenzy of working at Tesla under the 'cult' of Elon Musk Tesla is transforming how cars are sold. But 27 insiders say the company's methods mean slashed pay and living under the constant threat of getting laid off. Uber insiders reveal how DoorDash stole its delivery crown and left Eats in the dust Uber's trying no-meeting Mondays to give employees a break from 'tiring' back-to-back meetings, a leaked email reveals Leaked email reveals a Tesla VP expressed concern about employees coming to work with COVID-19 symptoms Leaked document reveals Nikola flip-flopped on whether it would spend any of its $17 million of customer deposits to fund the Nikola One Insiders reveal Alibaba's Jack Ma sought a partnership with Canoo to build electric delivery vans, but the deal fell flat because the startup couldn't meet his aggressive timeline Leaked email from Elon Musk reveals the Model Y is experiencing production 'challenges' while passing the Model 3 as the top priority at Tesla's US car factory Leaked email and audio reveal Carnival-owned Holland America has struggled to give refunds to some customers Leaked documents reveal the severance packages laid off Carnival UK workers will receive Inside Tesla's overhaul plan for its sales and delivery teams to solve one of its toughest customer challenges