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A 45-year-old San Francisco man has been charged with several incidents of vandalizing Waymo autonomous vehicles in the city's SoMa neighborhood since July. Authorities say Walker Reed Quinn has damaged Waymo cars by removing and swinging his belt, placing a cone on the dome and sensors, damaging tires and mirrors, and stomping on windshields, posing a risk to public safety.

Why it matters

Waymo has faced some resident backlash and instances of vandalism as one of the most visible self-driving taxi companies. San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood has one of the highest instances of property crime in the city, although incident rates have declined somewhat.

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.

  • 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.

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.

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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 (San Francisco Chronicle)

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.