--- title: "Deranged Stalker Seizes Control of Woman’s Tesla Software to Terrorize Her While Driving" description: "A woman watched helplessly as her former partner, who had been abusing her for four years, remotely controlled her Tesla EV." date: "2026-09-11" modified: "2026-09-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/deranged-stalker-woman-tesla-terrorize" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Electric Vehicles" - "Tesla" --- # Deranged Stalker Seizes Control of Woman’s Tesla Software to Terrorize Her While Driving ![A color-treated photo of a man with a smartphone in front of a Tesla.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* It's no secret that car owners have handed an immense amount of control over their vehicles to software. From infuriating touchscreens and convoluted user interfaces, to advanced — [albeit flawed]() — driver assistance programs, we've never been more removed from the actual driving experience. The situation become particularly harrowing for Sydney native Narghiza Ergashova, who watched helplessly as her former partner — who she says had already been abusing her for four years — started remotely controlling her Tesla from his smartphone. As [*The Guardian* reports](), police records detail her terrifying experience at the hands of her domestic abuser, 50-year-old businessman Enrico Pucci, last year. Ergashova found that Pucci had activated a "parental control" profile on the vehicle, going as far as to tail her in his own car as he yelled at her about her new partner. "You thought you’d get away with this," he yelled, according to police records quoted by *The Guardian*. "I am in your car. I am in your maps." While Ergashova technically owns the vehicle, Pucci had previously offered to "assist her" by using the accompanying Tesla app, giving him extensive control over the car. According to [Tesla's website](), parental controls can be accessed via the accompanying mobile app and allow the user to change a long list of settings. It also allowed Pucci to bring the Tesla to a crawl at just 25 mph on main roads, for instance, by activating a "Valet Mode" intended to only be used by valets. That caused "significant safety issues for the victim on the road," according to the police documents. Pucci also started setting the cabin temperature of the vehicle to extremely cold and hot temperatures and could even predetermine when the car could be driven by implementing curfew hours, features clearly intended for young learners. "The victim has not had any control of her vehicle since she noticed the parental control profile added on the 1st November 2025," law enforcement noted. "The accused has been the only one with access to the vehicle’s controls utilising the Tesla app. This has caused the victim significant stress, mental harm and fears for her physical safety when operating her own vehicle." Ergashova's abuser has an extensive track record. Pucci has been convicted of 30 domestic violence-related offences, [according to the *Sydney Morning Herald*](), including eight counts of stalking, two counts of choking, one count of coercive control, and assault leading to bodily harm. He has also been convicted of creating revenge porn and theft. Fortunately, he has been brought to justice. Pucci pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison last week. **More on Tesla:** [*Tesla Robotaxi With No Driver Spotted Smashing Through Traffic Barriers*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()