Los Angeles authorities arrested a man on suspicion of trying to hijack a Waymo self-driving taxi early Thursday morning, according to local reports.
Video footage obtained by KTLA5 show The suspect was found in the driver's seat of a vehicle shortly before 1 a.m. near South Hill Street and 5th Street in the city's downtown area.
Officers then approached the man, who reportedly refused to exit the self-driving car, and were able to pull him out and handcuff him.
His identity has not been made public, and it is unclear why he ended up in the front seat of the Waymo car, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet.
Waymo was already available to the public in Phoenix, Arizona and San Francisco, California; introduced to Los Angeles in early 2024, and the current The company says it operates “24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in an area of 79 square miles.”
The technology has received mixed reviews from some passengers, especially women. complain Breitbart News reported in December that they faced harassment and other safety concerns en route to their destinations.
Stephanie is a tech worker in San Francisco. spoke A worrying experience for washington postWhen her Waymo car was chased late one night by several young people shouting inappropriate comments, she could do nothing to reroute the driverless car.
Watch — California crime wave: Store destroyed after flash mob loots Nordstrom in Los Angeles:
After calling 911, Stefani was told that police could not escort her to a moving vehicle, the newspaper reported.
Another shocking Waymo incident from San Francisco was captured on video by a passenger named Amina, showing two men blocking her car's path while demanding her cell phone number. was.
“No… go, go, go!” a voice can be heard shouting at the men standing in front of Amina's car, which stopped at a red light.
The self-driving car's sensors detected something moving in front of the vehicle, making it unable to maneuver around the obstacle.
One of the men, wearing a hat and glasses, is seen making repeated “call me” gestures with his hands and refusing to leave the street.
“I love Waymo, but this was scary,” Amina wrote to X in September 2024. “Two men stopped in front of my car and demanded my number. My car stalled on the road and I was stranded.”
“Thankfully it only lasted a few minutes…but ladies, please be aware of this,” she added.
When one commenter responded, “Well, it wouldn't work in a society with low trust,” Amina said there was still “hope” for Waymo.
