'There should be an effort': Man tracking Tesla stolen in Houston, TX can't get help retrieving it

Texas man said neither Houston police nor Tesla will help him get car back, despite his knowing exactly where it is
Monday, August 28, 2023
HOUSTON -- A Pearland, Texas man knows where his stolen Tesla is but said he can't get any help retrieving it.

Albert Molina's Tesla was towed to a Houston service center for a repair on Aug. 18. The following day, he said he received a call from an employee asking him if he had picked up the vehicle because their records showed it had been checked in, but was no longer on the lot.
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Molina checked the Tesla app and saw the vehicle "driving around Houston."

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Last Monday, he requested Tesla remove the vehicle from repair mode, allowing him to deactivate it remotely. It has been sitting in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Bellaire, Texas ever since.

He shared the location with Tesla and Houston police.



"The cops actually told me, 'Do not go to the place. Do not drive up to where the car is right now, so don't go there,'" Molina said.

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He said he did not understand why police had not retrieved the car.

"There should be an effort. It's like they're not taking me seriously," Molina said.

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ABC Houston affiliate KTRK checked in on the car one week after the vehicle was first reported stolen. It remains in the apartment parking lot with the driver-side window smashed.

Molina is worried his vehicle will be further damaged or disappear due to the delay.
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"It's so frustrating because I know that Tesla knows it, and the cops know it, but what are they doing?"



On Saturday, KTRK contacted the Houston Police Department about the case, which was filed with their department. A public information officer said it was unlikely he could provide information on the case over the weekend.

That public information officer called back on Sunday and said the case was not in their jurisdiction, but rather Bellaire police. It is still being determined why Molina was not made aware for an entire week until this report was published.

KTRK also contacted Tesla for additional information on the case. There has yet to be a response.
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