Amazon’s Alexa, which is a voice controlled speaker, is one of the best on the market right now. Not only can Alexa take voice commands, but it can apparently save lives, too.
A man from New Mexico, identified as 28-year-old Eduardo Barros, was arrested for allegedly beating his girlfriend and threatening to kill her after the smart speaker called the police.
Barros reportedly became enraged with his girlfriend while they were house-sitting in the small town of Tijeras because he’d come across a text message on her phone and thought she was cheating on him, according to the New York Post. The argument turned physical, and Barros threatened to kill the woman while waving around a gun, demanding, “Did you call the sheriffs?”
The question was recognized by the Alexa device as a command, so it dialed 911. When the police called the landline connected to the machine, Barros reportedly saw the caller I.D., threw his girlfriend to the floor and kicked her in the face and stomach nearly a dozen times, according to the Washington Post.
The Post reported the victim, who has not been identified, stated that she thought she might die during the attack -- which may very well have happened, if not for Alexa.
Responding police officers were able to remove the victim and her daughter from the house. Barros was taken into custody after a SWAT and a crisis negotiation team were called in to assist. He is being held without bail on charges of possession of a firearm, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.