Voice-powered virtual assistant Alexa saves girlfriend from 'abusive' boyfriend

Eduardo Barros, 28, was arrested after he mentioned 'calling sheriffs' during a fight, which prompted an Alexa device to call 911. Photo / Supplied

A US man has been arrested for allegedly abusing his girlfriend after Amazon's Alexa notified police, authorities said.

Eduardo Barros, 28, from New Mexico became angered with his unidentified girlfriend on July 2 while house-sitting when the dispute suddenly turned physical, reports the New York Post.

Barros threatened to kill the woman with a gun before he allegedly asked: "Did you call the sheriffs?"

The question was inadvertently picked up by the smart speaker and recognised the sentence as a command — prompting a 911 call, Bernallillo County Sheriff's Department Deputy Felicia Romero confirmed on Monday.

The Alexa virtual assistant was connected to a landline in the home, Romero said.

The violent dispute unfolded after Barros allegedly got upset over his girlfriend's text messages, where he accused her of cheating on him.

"Barros told her she was not going anywhere and he was going to kill her," according to an arrest warrant statement. "When 911 called her phone, Barros saw the caller ID and threw [her] to the floor. Barros then kicked her while on the ground at least 10 times in the face and stomach. Barros told [the victim] he could not believe the cops had been called and he was not going back to prison and that she knew he was a felon. [The victim] stated she thought she was going to be killed or shot."

The Amazon Echo smart speaker. Photo / Supplied

The woman and her daughter were removed from the home by authorities. She received minor injuries during the incident, and her daughter was not harmed, Romero told ABC News.

Barros, a convicted felon, was later taken into custody where he was held without bail on firearm, aggravated battery and false imprisonment charges.

"The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life," Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III told ABC News. "This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation."