TIJERAS, New Mexico – New Mexico's Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office believe an Amazon Echo smarthome device called them during a domestic dispute in Tijeras more than a week ago, but that's leaving the owners of the device baffled.
The sheriff's office said not only did the device call for help, but they were actually able to use it during negotiations.
More than a week ago, Eduardo Barros allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at her parent's home in Tijeras and beat her with a gun.
"During this process, he asked her, 'Did you call the sheriff's?'" Detective Roger Garcia with Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said. "And I guess there was a smart speaker connected inside the residence that was connected to the home phone, and I guess it heard the key words 'Call sheriff.'"
The saving grace in this life-threatening situation, according to the sheriff's office, was the smart speaker, the Amazon Echo known as 'Alexa.'
Garcia said the phone number that came into dispatch was the home phone number believed to have been connected to that smart speaker.
"During my interview with the victim, I talked to her, she told me no one in the house had called 911," Garcia said. "She had told me Alexa, I guess is the smart speaker had called while they were arguing."
The woman's parents, who own the home, are puzzled. Since the dispute, they've tried calling police through that smart device, but weren't successful.
Read more at KBOB.