Tesla in Sentry Mode helps apprehend its own thief

Model 3 alerted owner of a suspected thief through Tesla's smartphone app

Police have apprehended a would-be car thief after the Tesla he was attempting to steal alerted its owner to suspicious activity.

The electric vehicle's Sentry Mode sent a notification to owner Jed Franklin via the Tesla smartphone app after one of the back windows was broken into while the car was parked in San Francisco.

Cameras positioned on the Tesla Model 3 allowed Mr Franklin to record the suspect, both during the incident and in the moments leading up to it.

This video was then shared with San Francisco Police, who used it to apprehend the suspect.

According to Tesla's website, Sentry Mode is designed to protect against break-ins and theft by offering a "unique layer of protection" to Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles built after August 2017.

It works by continuous monitoring the environment around the car when its left unattended by using the vehicle's vast array of cameras and sensors that are usually used to facilitate semi-autonomous driving.

"While no alarm system can prevent against all vehicle thefts, break-ins and threats, we hope that with Sentry Mode and our other security features, your Tesla will be even more secure," the Tesla site states.

The incident in California, first reported by ABC7 News, is the first time Sentry Mode has been publicly cited for preventing a burglary since it rolled out as a software update in February.

"It's unusual," Mr Franklin told the local TV news channel. "So for one, I was upset to see the car getting broken into bit on the other side, I was like, oh my gosh I can't believe this is actually recorded."

San Francisco Police confirmed that a 21-year-old suspect had been arrested on second-degree burglary charges and probation violation.