17 Self-Driving Taxis Vandalized, Alleged Tire Slasher Charged

A tire-slashing spree that damaged at least 17 Waymo self-driving taxis in San Francisco over three days has led to a Castro Valley resident being charged with 17 counts of vandalism.

Ronaile Joshua Burton (36) has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The incidents happened between June 24 and June 26 in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco.

On June 24, five separate incidents were recorded between 6:37 p.m. and 8:06 p.m. The following day, there were a further nine attacks, between 3:05 p.m. and 11:01 p.m.

And on June 25, there were three incidents between 12:06 a.m. and 1:19 a.m.

In each case, the damage done was said to exceed $400, making it an offense punishable by jail time, as per the California penal code.

It is understood that footage from cameras outfitted to Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace SUVs was used by the San Francisco Police Department to identify the individual who has been charged.

Some of the attacks took place on self-driving taxis which were actually carrying riders at the time.

In addition, prosecutors allege that these 17 incidents are connected to a separate case in which Burton is claimed to have approached a three-car caravan of Waymo vehicles and used a knife to “stab the tires.”

In a press release to announce the charges, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said: “I would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department for their careful investigation in this case.

Related:Waymo Self-Driving Taxi Destroyed by Violent Crowd

“The destruction of other people’s property will not go unaddressed in San Francisco. People who vandalize property must be held accountable for their actions.”

Waymo is attempting to recover the damages sustained to its vehicles and will also try to mitigate the potential for future attacks.

Burton was denied bail and remains in custody. 

Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White said in a statement that Burton, who uses she/her pronouns, was “someone in need of help and not jail, which is why our social workers are actively working to identify and secure appropriate services.”

Self-driving taxis have become an increasingly polarizing presence in San Francisco, particularly since Waymo and Cruise were given the green light to run commercial services 24/7 last August. 

Shortly after, the latter had its license to operate removed in the aftermath of an incident that left a pedestrian badly injured and had disastrous repercussions for the company.

While that has given Waymo a big commercial advantage, it has also left the company to bear the brunt of anti-robotaxi sentiment.

In February, one of its autonomous vehicles was set on fire and destroyed by a crowd during Lunar New Year celebrations. A teenager was subsequently charged in connection with the incident.

Related:Self-Driving Taxis Targeted by Activists in San Francisco