CV Man Charged with Vandalizing Robot Taxis
A Castro Valley man has been charged with 17 counts of damaging and slashing the tires of Waymo self-driving cars in San Francisco in late June.
Ronaile Joshua Burton, 36, pleaded not guilty in a San Francisco court last Thursday and attended a custody status hearing last Friday. SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins claims Burton specifically went after the autonomous vehicles and stabbed their tires with a knife. Each of the 17 vandalism charges involves damage exceeding $400. Burton's preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2024. The investigation is still active, the DA’s office said.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company, Alphabet, helped police identify and catch Burton thanks to Waymo’s onboard cameras from each of the damaged white all-electric Jaguar I-PACE cars.
The cars are outfitted with multiple laser sensors. The most prominent is the one on top of the vehicle, which can see 360 degrees up to about 1,000 feet. The cars also have camera sensor technology, which can identify details in signs at a range of more than 980 feet.
The DA did not specify Burton's motives, nor did he explain if Burton had any connection with Waymo, Google, or Alphabet. The San Francisco DA's office is also looking into any connection with a previous crime spree where Burton is accused of targeting three other Waymo vehicles and stabbing the tires with a knife.
After months of testing, Waymo vehicles launched in San Francisco in August 2023. While some see the robot taxis as a push toward progress, others are skeptical that driverless cars are able to truly navigate traffic, pedestrians, and other objects. Waymo also operates in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
