We live in a time that has never existed in all of history. It is a time of invention and of technology and most of us are surprised with how quickly it is growing. We carry it with us on a daily basis using our smartphone and we sit behind it at work or at home while watching TV or sitting at the computer. We tend to use technology because it is convenient but now, it may just have saved a life.
This happened when a man from Tijeras, New Mexico was arrested. The charge? Abusing and beating his girlfriend. It turns out that somebody nearby called the authorities when they heard him beating his girlfriend. It wasn’t the next-door neighbor but rather, it was Alexa, a voice-powered personal assistant that many of us use. This personal assistant, which comes from Amazon, called the police after hearing what was taking place. It is thought that this is the first time the device was used in this particular way.
Eduardo Barros had received a text message from his girlfriend and got extremely upset. The 28-year-old man then began arguing with his girlfriend and before long, he was waving a gun at her and threatening her life. He started asking if she had called the sheriffs.
When Alexa heard him asking about the sheriff, it picked up on the hint and dialed 911. This was confirmed by the sheriff’s department in a statement that is published on their Facebook page. The arrest warrant showed that he did threaten to kill the victim.
“When 911 called her phone, Barros saw the caller ID and threw [her] to the floor,” according to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the New York Post, “Barros then kicked her while on the ground at least 10 times in the face and stomach. Barros told [the victim] he could not believe the cops had been called and he was not going back to prison and that she knew he was a felon. [The victim] stated she thought she was going to be killed or shot.”
It wasn’t long before a SWAT team showed up on the scene along with a crisis negotiation team. It took six hours of negotiating but finally, the police remove the victim and her daughter before they sustained any serious injuries.
“The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life. This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation,” Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III said in a statement. The man is now facing charges including aggravated battery, false imprisonment, and possession of a firearm.
Alexa is accessible through the Echo speakers from Amazon. In a way that is similar to Siri or Google (on an android), you can use voice commands to have them do a wide variety of chores for you. The automated assistant can also provide a degree of home automation. You can connect everything from light switches to thermostats using available apps.