by How a Waymo robotaxi helped the perpetrator disappear
Waymo’s self-driving taxi, which usually gets confused on flooded streets, turned out to be surprisingly effective as a “getaway car” for criminals. It turns out these vehicles are excellent at helping offenders vanish without a trace.
Earlier this year, an unknown suspect entered the Hot 8 Yoga studio in San Francisco and hastily left it with an armful of expensive athletic wear. He arrived in a Waymo and used the same vehicle to flee, tossing the loot into the trunk of the autonomous I-Pace.
Police contacted Waymo, but it was too late
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, local authorities were slow to investigate. A search warrant for Waymo was only issued in April, demanding all information about the account used to book the ride, as well as video from inside and outside the vehicle to identify the thief.
However, by the time the warrant was submitted, Waymo had already deleted the cabin recordings. The company does not disclose exactly how long it keeps video. Moreover, external cameras always blur faces for privacy reasons. So, despite every robotaxi being equipped with an arsenal of high-definition cameras, none of them helped find the thief.
This is hard to accept given the powerful equipment. According to the Waymo website, their latest Jaguars have 29 cameras that provide a full 360-degree view. The user account information also did not lead police to the suspect — the ride may have been booked using stolen data or a burner phone.
All for men’s shorts
The manager of the Hot 8 Yoga studio says that footage from external cameras shows the Waymo dropping the man off and waiting for him to return with the stolen goods. Although he only took a few men’s shorts, this incident could inspire other criminals to use robotaxis for getaways.
Another case in Los Angeles
Last year, a similar incident occurred in Los Angeles: someone fled a store after a theft using a Waymo. However, that ended differently. Police caught up with the robotaxi, forced it to pull over, and arrested the suspect.
This case in San Francisco highlights that, despite all technological advancements, autonomous vehicles could become an unexpected tool for criminals. Police still haven’t found the suspect, and Waymo appears in no hurry to change its data retention policies, raising questions about the balance between privacy and safety. Perhaps in the future, companies will have to revise their protocols to avoid similar situations, since even 29 cameras don’t guarantee solving a crime if the video is deleted before law enforcement can request it.
