Police can’t find shoplifter who fled in self-driving Waymo
Popular Science...
It may not have been the most thrilling getaway job, but San Francisco law enforcement said it’s one of the first crimes of its kind. It also remains unsolved after nearly six months. According to officials speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle, police are still investigating a case in which an unidentified man stole an arm-full of activewear from a local yoga studio, then fled the scene inside a self-driving Waymo taxi.
“I would think it would be easier to solve in a Waymo,” Sgt. Tim Faye told the newspaper on June 4.
Anticipating an open-and-shut investigation is understandable, but the situation is actually more complicated than it seems. While police couldn’t comment on an active case, it’s almost certain the robber used a burner account or stolen phone to order the taxi service, which debuted its self-driving option to San Francisco customers in June 2024. The white Jaguar used during the getaway features around 29 high-definition cameras mounted inside and outside the autonomous vehicle that provide 360-degree vantages, but Waymo only temporarily retains recordings. The company erased all interior footage by the time investigators filed a search warrant in April 2026, and data privacy laws ensure that any faces captured on cameras outside the car must remain blurred.
Skeptical customers and safety concerns have restricted autonomous ridesharing to only seven cities across California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Georgia so far. That said, companies like Waymo are still aggressively pursuing plans to expand the service to other parts of the country. One of the only other similar crimes occurred last year in Los Angeles, when a suspect allegedly robbed a grocery store and then left in a Waymo. In that instance, police pursued the vehicle and successfully pulled the car over after turning on its emergency lights.
“It’s highly unusual in the first place that a Waymo is even used by a suspect,” added Sgt. Faye.
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