Burglar Uses Waymo Robotaxi as Get-Away Car

Waymo robotaxis are already a familiar part of everyday life in many U.S. cities, but the fact that one was used as a getaway vehicle for a burglary is something new. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, a man broke into the Hot 8 Yoga studio near the Marina, grabbed a number of men’s shorts, and then used a Waymo waiting outside the yoga studio to make off with the loot. The whole thing took less than three minutes.

The problem? Six months later, the police still haven’t caught the perpetrator, even though the Waymos are equipped with 29 cameras and, thanks to registration via the Waymo app and the provision of credit card information, all the data needed to apprehend the crook is actually available. Although the police obtained all the data from Waymo via a court order, the information led to no results, as stolen credit card data and burner phones are frequently used.

This is not the first case where thieves or burglars have used Waymos as getaway vehicles. Last year, there was one case each in Los Angeles and Phoenix where the police were able to stop and arrest the two criminals while they were still in the Waymo.

This article was also published in German.