Maybe it’s because of the square physique or because of the premium seat upholstery, regardless it’s common knowledge that the average hamster loves a good Kia Soul. And It’s even more common knowledge that most hamsters would probably carry out their daily grocery shopping tasks at their local Petco.
Yet a TikTok posted recently by Keilah Lopez (@klopez26) captured a red-haired woman scrambling to get in and out as quickly as possible, possibly doing something illegal—no hamsters. Receiving over 1.5 million views, TikToker Keilah’s Tesla captured footage of the frazzled woman allegedly stealing a large item from the store and driving off.
All in the span of four minutes.
Accompanied by upbeat, electronic music, the footage depicts a woman with dyed red hair, sitting in her Kia Soul with the door open, putting what seems to be a piece of gum in her mouth. With her keys on a lanyard around her neck and colorful leggings on, the woman stands up and hobbles toward the line of stores roughly 100 feet away.
With camera angles on every side of Keilah’s Tesla, the car was able to pickup virtually every movement of the unnamed woman. The car even includes a fish-eye camera lens on its rear to capture a wide range of footage covering a majority of the parking lot.
In a swift four minutes, the woman is then seen running toward the Tesla with another long-haired adult. Holding an unknown item, the woman then struggles to get into her car, parked just adjacent to Keilah.
After a few seconds of fidgeting, the woman opens the door and quickly hops into her driver’s seat with the item.
As she prepares to drive off, a middle-aged man comes to her window, recording her on his smartphone, persistent to capture a glimpse of her face.
The man walks alongside the car as the uncaring woman speeds off into the distance.
Caught entirely on her Tesla’s exterior camera, Keliah managed to catch almost every crucial detail of the alleged crime, including a freezeframe which clearly depicts the woman’s face and identity.
While Teslas may have not had the original intention of catching crimes on their car cameras, this has become quite the common occurrence.
@klopez26 #Tesla recorded someone stealing at #petco ♬ bounce (i just wanna dance) – фрози & joyful
Back in 2021, a Tesla camera revealed a fully masked man standing outside the occupied car with a knife. And though the man made no violent action toward the car or its passengers, the woman still proceeded to save the video and talk to her local authorities.
Tesla has cameras both on the interior and exterior of their cars.
“For these eligible vehicles, the cabin camera can determine driver inattentiveness and provide you with audible alerts to remind you to keep your eyes on the road when Autopilot is engaged,” according to the website.
Yet in Keilah’s case, it was the exterior security system that seized the important footage. Depending on the model of the car, a Tesla can include up to six cameras located in all areas of the vehicle, assuring full coverage of the car and its surroundings.
It’s clear how Keilah was able to gain such insight into the situation. And her commenters used this to their advantage claiming that they have fully identified the woman and her name.
“Look up [alleged name] on Facebook, she’s already selling it!,” one viewer said, receiving almost 11,300 likes.
Others laughed at her misfortune and mediocre tactics.
“Lmao her opening the door but not unlocking it *skeleton emoji*,” another commenter said.
One viewer even exposed the location of the crime, saying it happened in Minnesota.
And though wild hamsters may be rare in the vast lands of Minnesota, it seems as though these actions are not as rare for the pet store shoplifters. Keilah’s audience claims that this isn’t the first they’re seen or heard of this woman stealing within the area.
While it is unclear if the woman is now facing persecution or has gotten away clean-slate, it can be stated that maybe shoplifting near a Tesla isn’t the best idea for anonymity.
The Daily Dot reached out to Keilah Lopez (@klopez26) via TikTok Direct Message.