Police have yet to catch a thief who used a Waymo to steal yoga clothes
Source: Engadget
Background
A burglar used a Waymo to steal a bunch of yoga clothes from a San Francisco yoga studio, according to a report by the SF Chronicle1. The incident occurred in January, and the suspect remains at large.
Investigation
Security footage described by TechCrunch2 shows the burglar taking a Waymo to the studio, robbing the place, and exiting via the same robotaxi. Waymo turned over the suspect’s account information to authorities, but it did not lead police anywhere useful.
Authorities were unable to obtain interior footage of the ride. Waymo vehicles record everything, but the footage is not retained indefinitely. When police filed a search warrant in April, the interior video had already been deleted. The exterior camera footage was also unusable because it had been “blurred for privacy reasons.”
Surveillance Concerns
This situation raises questions about the long‑term surveillance capabilities of Waymo vehicles. For more context on driverless vehicles and surveillance, see the article on Criminal Legal News3. Engadget has reached out to Waymo for clarification on its data retention policies and the blurred exterior footage.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first time a Waymo has been used in a crime. In a separate case, a suspect used a Waymo as a getaway car after robbing a grocery store, but was almost immediately caught4.