Two women charged after Tesla video contradicts carjacking story

Harris County deputies arrested two Georgia women on Saturday after video from a parked Tesla contradicted their claim that they had been carjacked.

Constables from Precinct 4 said Kenyarda Leavell and Portia Ellis called 911 just after 3 a.m. in the 1800 block of Laurel Valley Drive. They told dispatchers that a man had forced his way into their vehicle at gunpoint and was driving it when it crashed.

The Tesla owner, Johnny Tran, said he was visiting Houston from Austin with a traveling car club. He had parked his race-adapted vehicle outside his Airbnb overnight, preparing to display it at a local car show that afternoon. Tran received a notification on his phone indicating his car had been hit.

Tran ran downstairs and found two women standing behind the vehicle. He said he initially thought they were attempting to steal parts, but both women walked away before he could speak to them. On-board camera footage later showed a blue Audi pulling up to the Tesla and sideswiping it. The video captured the Audi stopping in front of the Tesla before a female passenger exited.

Deputies located the women at an Airbnb located just a few houses from the crash site. They arrested both and charged them with making a false report. Leavell faces an additional charge for leaving the scene of the accident. The women were released on $100 bonds each. Bond conditions did not appear to restrict their travel.

Tran said his Tesla is no longer drivable due to bent rear axles and body damage. He is currently working with his insurance company to determine if Leavell has coverage. Tran credited the vehicle's sentry mode for identifying the drivers, noting the system notified him immediately after the collision.