Caught on Camera: Thief breaks into Tesla in broad daylight

SAN ANTONIO — Jason Straughan walked into a Schertz bank Thursday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. He then walked out, got into his Tesla, and realized that his passenger side window was gone.

At first he thought it could have been an accident. 

“I thought maybe somebody backed into the car, freaked out, and drove away,” Straughan.

Then, he looked at his car’s security cameras.

Before he had even entered the bank, a large black truck had appeared and stopped near his vehicle. 

The truck backed into a space next to him. A man, who was covered head to toe so only his eyes were visible, opened the back door of the truck and used it as cover as he attempted to break the Tesla’s windows. 

“At first I was just surprised and after that I was pretty angry. I couldn’t believe that this had happened,” Straughan said. “I couldn’t believe this happened in broad daylight in front of a bank.”

The man used a small tool to try and shatter and breach each window. When that didn’t work, he slammed the first window with his hands and ripped it out. As the driver inched forward, perhaps nervous that they had been spotted, the thief dove halfway into the window in an attempt to search the car.

Straughan did, in fact, have money in the car at the time, but it was hidden from view. The thief never found it.

“They got nothing. It was really surprising to me,” Straughan.

While it’s possible the burglary crew were just searching for high-end vehicles, crews will also follow individuals from banks or shopping centers. Straughan said it’s possible he was targeted since a previous stop. 

While Straughan didn’t lose anything in the car, he will need to replace both windows. He hopes the video with generate tips so the Schertz Police Department can track the thieves down. 

“If you know anything about these folks I’m sure the Schertz Police Department, and I, would like to hear more,” Straughan said. “I’m surprised how brazen they are. They were willing to do that near a busy intersection at a reputable business.”