A thief who snatched yoga pants in San Francisco is still at large after making a getaway in a self-driving Waymo, according to police reports.
The incident took place at the Marina Hot 8 Yoga Studio in January, where the suspect reportedly left with a significant amount of merchandise. They then jumped into a driverless white Jaguar that was waiting outside.
Authorities are labeling this as the first robbery in the city where a high-tech vehicle was used to escape.
Despite the self-driving car being equipped with multiple cameras, police have stated they have yet to arrest any suspects six months after the theft was caught on surveillance video.
“I think it should be easier to solve it with Waymo,” Sgt. Tim Fay commented.
Police secured a search warrant to access video footage and details about the passenger but have yet to make any arrests or identify any suspects.
According to Fay, the use of Waymo in this context is quite unusual. He expressed disappointment that the internal video did not result in identifying the thief.
By the time a search warrant was obtained for the car’s interior footage, the video had been erased, while external footage only showed blurred faces to protect privacy.
A spokesperson for Waymo mentioned that they are reviewing law enforcement requests to ensure they’re legally valid and will seek to protect passenger privacy when necessary.
A manager from the yoga studio shared that their footage revealed a driverless vehicle picking up the suspect, waiting during the theft, and then driving off.
This marks the first robbery involving a self-driving taxi in the Bay Area, but it’s not entirely uncommon for criminals. Similar incidents have occurred in other locations.
For instance, in January 2025, a thief in Los Angeles attempted to escape police in a self-driving Waymo after robbing a grocery store. In that case, the vehicle assisted law enforcement in apprehending the suspect.
These autonomous vehicles are designed to halt when they detect nearby police lights and sirens.
The newspaper has reached out to both the San Francisco Police Department and Waymo for additional comments.
