A resident of Castro Valley was formally accused on Thursday of defacing 17 Waymo autonomous taxis in San Francisco between June 24 and June 26, as reported by the district attorney of the city.
According to the prosecution, the acts of vandalism, specifically tire slashings, were recorded by the surveillance cameras equipped on the exterior of Waymo’s autonomous taxis. This marks yet another episode in a series of Waymo vehicle vandalisms in the Bay Area, a region where autonomies have been the subject of resentment by certain locals.
Historically, San Francisco has witnessed broad opposition to autonomous taxis. In a notable incident in February, a group within the Chinatown district committed vandalism against a Waymo vehicle by igniting it. Approximately a year earlier, detractors of autonomous taxis resorted to placing traffic cones atop these vehicles, rendering them inoperative.
On this occasion, Waymo’s security technology managed to capture one such act of vandalism on camera. Waymo disclosed to TechCrunch via email that the San Francisco Police Department had inspected footage from the vehicles’ exterior cameras, which assisted in identifying the perpetrator.
“Charges have been filed against the individual responsible for the severe vandalization of several Waymo vehicles, incidents that occurred even with passengers inside,” Waymo’s spokesperson Katherine Barna stated via email. “Furthermore, Waymo is actively pursuing reparations for the damages incurred and is implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The prosecution contends that the tire slashings, particularly within the Tenderloin district of the city, are linked to another case of vandalization in the city’s records. It is alleged that during the same timeframe, the suspect, Ronaile Joshua Burton, targeted a convoy of three Waymo cars, puncturing their tires with a knife.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, in a press statement, expressed gratitude towards the San Francisco Police Department for their diligent investigation. “San Francisco will not tolerate the destruction of property. It is imperative that those who engage in vandalism are held accountable for their actions,” she asserted.
Burton has entered a plea of not guilty to all 17 allegations. The damage to each vehicle has been assessed at a cost exceeding $400. The suspect has been detained without bail as a precaution against public safety risks while awaiting the trial scheduled for Friday, July 12.
Adam Birka-White, the Deputy Public Defender representing Burton, declared that Burton requires support rather than incarceration. He asserted the defense’s intention to fervently contest the charges and further criticized the District Attorney’s office for its apparent focus on penalizing the impoverished at the behest of large corporations.
Waymo has stated that it scrutinizes all law enforcement requests for its vehicles’ video data, rejecting, limiting, or challenging requests lacking a legitimate legal foundation or considered to be excessively broad, as has been their practice.
No further comments were made by the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the suspect’s place of residence. It is Castro Valley. Additionally, this article has been updated to include a statement from Burton’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White, and clarifies the pronouns Burton uses to she/her.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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