Pittsburgh woman arrested after trespassing at SpaceX's Texas facility and asking to speak to Elon Musk
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh woman is in a Texas jail after investigators said they found her looking for Elon Musk at his SpaceX Stargate facility in Brownsville, Texas.
KDKA-TV spoke to the father of 20-year-old Nivea Rose Parker outside his apartment on the North Side on Tuesday. He said he had no idea she was going to do this or why.
"I thought we raised her better than this," Parker's father Gene said.
Gene added it's been at least a month since he's talked to his daughter.
"She keeps in touch once in a while, but she left and moved on her own and thought she was doing good as far as what she told me," he said.
Gene said his daughter moved from Pittsburgh's North Side to Texas at the end of last year and was taking online classes. When he found out Tuesday about the trouble she had gotten herself into, Gene said he couldn't believe it.
Parker is accused of going into the Texas SpaceX facility last week without permission, roaming around on the fifth floor, stating she was an employee and wanted to speak to Elon Musk, the founder of the company. Parker tried to get away on foot, Cameron County sheriff's deputies said, but they arrested her inside the facility. Her father said he had no idea she was planning on doing something like this.
"Honestly, she hasn't mentioned anything about doing that to me," he said. "I mean I know she's still young and has a vivid imagination, but didn't think she'd do something like this."
Gene said his daughter has watched some SpaceX videos online in the past.
"She's mentioned some things she saw on YouTube," he said. "We have all seen some of the things (Musk has) done, but I didn't think she'd do something like that. I'll pray for her and wait for her call. Maybe I will see what I can do to get in touch with her. I just pray she takes this lesson and moves forward."
KDKA-TV reached out to SpaceX for comment and to find out how Parker got inside its secure facility, and are waiting to hear back.
Parker is facing a long list of charges and is currently at a detention center in Texas.
