A Castro Valley resident has been accused of slashing the tires of 17 Waymo robotaxis in San Francisco between June 24 and June 26, as reported by the city’s district attorney. The tire slashings were captured by cameras on the outside of Waymo’s robotaxis, marking the latest incident of Waymo vandalism in the Bay Area. Some residents are frustrated with the autonomous vehicles, leading to acts of vandalism.
San Francisco has a history of resistance against robotaxis. In a previous incident in February, individuals in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood set a Waymo vehicle on fire. About a year ago, traffic cones were placed on top of autonomous vehicles, disabling them. This time, Waymo’s technology recorded one of the alleged crimes on video, which was reviewed by the San Francisco Police Department to identify the suspect.
Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna confirmed that charges have been brought against the individual responsible for vandalizing the Waymo vehicles, some of which had passengers inside. Waymo is working to recover damages and prevent future incidents. The tire slashings took place in the Tenderloin neighborhood and are linked to another case of robotaxi vandalism involving suspect Ronaile Joshua Burton, who allegedly stabbed the tires of three Waymo vehicles in a separate incident.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expressed gratitude to the police for their investigation, emphasizing that property destruction will not be tolerated in the city. Burton has pleaded not guilty to all 17 charges and is currently in custody without bail due to the perceived public safety risk. The court date is scheduled for July 12.
Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White, representing Burton, stated that his client requires help rather than imprisonment. The public defender’s office plans to vigorously contest the charges, criticizing the District Attorney’s office for prioritizing punishment over support for individuals in need.
Waymo carefully evaluates law enforcement requests for vehicle videos, rejecting those without a valid legal basis. The company upholds privacy rights and only complies with lawful requests. The San Francisco District Attorney’s office declined to provide further comments on the matter.
In a correction to the original article, the suspect resides in Castro Valley, not San Francisco. Additionally, Burton’s attorney clarified that Burton uses she/her pronouns.
