San Francisco police identified a teenager suspected of setting a Waymo autonomous vehicle on fire in Chinatown during Lunar New Year celebrations in February.
The District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against the 14-year-old boy suspected of arson, The San Francisco Standard reported. The decision of whether he will be arrested or appear in court out of custody will lie with the Juvenile Probation Department.
The unoccupied Waymo robotaxi was set ablaze the evening of Feb. 10. The vehicle was surrounded by several dozen people who were seen breaking its windows and vandalizing it with graffiti, according to The San Francisco Standard. No injuries were reported.
On March 27, the San Francisco Police Department’s Arson Task Force obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s residence, where they recovered evidence from the incident. The suspect’s name remains confidential due to his age, NBC Bay Area reported.
“It’s important in these moments that we both condemn acts of vandalism, but also not lose sight of who we are as a city. We are a city that treasures celebrations like Lunar New Year that honor our cultural heritage and diverse communities. We are a city that is home to exciting, emerging technologies, like autonomous vehicles, that are changing the world. We are a city that is rich in culture, ideas, and pride,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed in a press release about the incident.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Please support our fundraisers. Purchase your tickets to a Night of Hilarity- a fun conversation with comedienne Jiaoying Summers and ABC7/KABC anchor David Ono to be held October 9 in Los Angeles.
Then join us for a stimulating conference about issues that divide the Asian American communities. Our fundraiser Common Ground and the dinner after will be held October 26 at UC Berkeley.
AsAmNews is partially supported by the Stop the Hate grant administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
