A San Francisco Burglar Escaped in a Robotaxi - and Police Still Can't Find Him (sfchronicle.com)
- Reference: 0183657736
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/06/08/0557251/a-san-francisco-burglar-escaped-in-a-robotaxi---and-police-still-cant-find-him
- Source link: https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/waymo-burglary-camera-video-22277358.php
Even the police officer assigned to the case thought it would be easier to solve, notes [2] The San Francisco Chronicle , since Waymos are outfitted with multiple high-definition cameras and require users to make accounts with their credit card numbers:
> It's common for officers to seek video footage of a crime from any of the Waymos, Teslas and other high-tech vehicles that record their surroundings. That information can be crucial for identifying suspects or creating a reliable timeline of events. At times, police will go so far as to obtain search warrants to [3]tow the vehicle "witnesses " to ensure they don't lose valuable video evidence. In the Hot 8 Yoga burglary case, San Francisco police issued a search warrant that forced Waymo to turn over information on the account that ordered the ride and video footage from the white Jaguar that served as the getaway car, police records show.
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> Faye said that he couldn't discuss certain details of the case, but that the Waymo user's account information didn't lead police to the suspect. In general, he said, it's not unusual for a criminal to order a service with stolen information or a burner phone. The video evidence didn't help much either, Faye said. He said that the company had not retained interior footage of the car by the time the search warrant was filed in April and that it had kept the faces seen outside the car blurred for privacy reasons... Waymo does not publicly disclose how long it retains video footage. The company blurs faces and license plates in the public-facing images it uses in a database designed for research....
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> Last year in Los Angeles, a person allegedly robbed a grocery store before hopping in a Waymo. Officers were able to chase down the vehicle after the suspect got inside, and the car pulled itself over after police turned on the car's emergency lights, [4]according to Los Angeles-area news outlets .
"Farah Issa, studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga, showed the Chronicle a copy of the surveillance video from her phone, noting how the Waymo dropped off the suspect and waited for him to finish the burglary before taking off again."
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/04/a-burglar-used-a-waymo-to-steal-yoga-clothes-in-sf-and-got-away-with-it/
[2] https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/waymo-burglary-camera-video-22277358.php
[3] https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/tesla-sentry-mode-police-evidence-19731000.php
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPs3XxD0tEU
Re: So... (Score:2)
No. There has to be knowledge that they were likely participating in a criminal act. They could be charged with some sort of negligence but even that would be very tough unless it shows they skipped some very simple and obvious due diligence.
Preservation letter? (Score:2)
Typically a preservation letter is sent out to let the recipient know that a court order will be forthcoming, and to preserve all files, metadata, images, etc. If you Google "sample preservation letter" one such example is [1]https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp... [cliffordlaw.com].
If the SFPD got this case in January, all they had to do is have some admin send some such letter to Waymo (and any nearby businesses with surveillance cameras) and then in March when they got their fat donut-eating asses on the case the evidence would b
[1] https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Preservation-Letter-Crafton-PSA.docx.pdf
Re: (Score:2)
These robot taxis are the perfect weapon for Jihad. Put a bag full of C-4 in the passenger seat and instruct it to go to the nearest Israeli embassy.
Re: San Francisco police can't find him (Score:2)
Great thinking, now instead of worrying about your fantasies, why don't you apply the same energy to worry about the genocide and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by Israel in reality.