Cardinals Vandalism Suspect Charged, Rainbow Grocery Celebrates 50 Years

San Francisco man accused of repeat attacks on Waymo vehicles, as local natural foods co-op marks milestone anniversary

Apr. 17, 2026 at 6:03am

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A heavily fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the damaged sensors and shattered glass of a self-driving car, conveying the conceptual idea of rising community tensions around new transportation technologies.As tensions over autonomous vehicles escalate, a recent wave of targeted street vandalism exposes pent-up frustration with driverless technology.Houston Today

A 45-year-old San Francisco man has been charged with a string of alleged attacks on Waymo autonomous vehicles in the city's SoMa neighborhood, while Rainbow Grocery Cooperative is celebrating its 50th year in business with a weekend-long community party.

Why it matters

Waymo has faced some resident backlash and instances of vandalism as one of the most visible self-driving taxi companies. In a neighborhood marked with high retail turnover and the rise of big-box chains, Rainbow rejected corporate norms, kept a loyal clientele, and chose a unique model based on community-based values and worker ownership.

The details

In three separate incidents, police said Walker Reed Quinn has been damaging Waymo vehicles since July by removing and swinging his belt, placing a cone on the dome and sensors of the car, damaging the tires and driver's side mirror, and stomping on the windshield. Meanwhile, Rainbow Grocery stayed in business and built up a local following through pandemic-era buying shifts and customer displacement by embracing values-based and hard-to-find items in product categories such as homeopathic bath and beauty products, herbal medicines, organic produce, specialty vegan, and goods from environmentally conscious brands.

  • On July 4, Quinn allegedly dove onto the hood of a Waymo vehicle and covered sensors.
  • On July 29, Quinn allegedly damaged a Waymo's tires and driver's side mirror.
  • On August 11, Quinn allegedly stomped on a windshield while someone was inside.
  • Rainbow Grocery opened in the summer of 1975.
  • Rainbow is celebrating its anniversary this Sunday (August 17, 2025).

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Walker Reed Quinn

A 45-year-old San Francisco resident who has a history of vandalism and was out on bail for prior cases related to Waymo vehicles.

Rainbow Grocery Cooperative

A local food natural foods grocery store, organized as an employee-owned co-op and born out of a 1970s grassroots natural food movement calling for access to nutritious and organic food.

Gordon Edgar

A 31-year employee who oversees Rainbow's cheese counter.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas. In an era of private equity-owned supermarkets, San Francisco's largest independent natural food store remains worker-owned and committed to organic food—proving mission-driven retail can survive and community values can endure.