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A Castro Valley resident was charged Thursday for allegedly slashing the tires of 17 Waymo robotaxis in San Francisco between June 24 and June 26 , accord tothe urban center ’s territorial dominion attorney .
prosecuting officer say the tire slashings were captured by tv camera installed on the outside of Waymo ’s robotaxis . This is the latest incident of Waymo vandalism in the Bay Area , where some resident physician have extract frustration with the self-governing vehicle .
San Francisco has a history of gross out against robotaxis more broadly . In February , a crew of hoi polloi in the city ’s Chinatown neck of the woods committed another human action of robotaxi malicious mischief by arrange a Waymo vehicleon fire . around a year ago , other robotaxi hatersplaced traffic coneson top of sovereign vehicle , a ward-heeler that incapacitate the vehicle .
This sentence around , Waymo ’s technology seems to have caught one of these alleged crimes on television . In an electronic mail to TechCrunch , Waymo said the San Francisco Police Department reviewed footage from the Waymo vehicle ’ exterior cameras to place the defendant .
“ We can affirm that charge have been brought against the somebody who aggressively vandalized a number of Waymo vehicles , some with riders present , ” said Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna in an email . “ Waymo is also taking steps to recuperate the damages sustained , and mitigate the potentiality for future events . ”
Prosecutors allege these tyre slashings , which occurred in the city ’s Tenderloin neighborhood , are link to another case of robotaxi vandalism in the urban center ’s file . In that case , the suspect Ronaile Joshua Burton is alleged to have approached a three - car wagon train of Waymo vehicle and stabbed a tongue into their tyre during the same prison term time period .
“ I would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department for their careful investigation in this case , ” saidSan Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in a pressure release . “ The destruction of other people ’s place will not go unaddressed in San Francisco . multitude who vandalize property must be held accountable for their actions . ”
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Burton has pled not guilty to all 17 charge . The wrong to each fomite is reckon at more than $ 400 . prosecuting officer placed the suspect in custody with no bond while wait trial , citing the “ public refuge peril ” they pose . Her court date is fix for Friday , July 12 .
Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka - White , who is representing Burton , enounce in a program line that his client is in want of help and not jail . The public defender ’s office intend to sharply fight these charges , he said in a broader statement that also criticized the District Attorney ’s agency for prioritizing the punishment poor people at the behest of tummy .
Waymo say it carefully reviews any requests from law enforcement before hand over its vehicles ’ videos . The company says it challenge , limits or cull postulation that do not have a valid legal base or are overbroad , and has done so in the past .
The San Francisco District Attorney ’s office declined to annotate further . chastisement : This story originally misstate the residence of the suspect . They live in Castro Valley . The clause has also been updated with a statement from Burton ’s attorney , Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka - White andclarifiesthat Burton uses she / her pronouns .
