Prosecutors have charged a resident of Castro Valley for allegedly slashing the tires of autonomous vehicles over a dozen times in San Francisco in late June.
According to a statement by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Ronaile Joshua Burton, aged 36, was arraigned on July 10 and entered a plea of not guilty to 17 counts of vandalism.
According to court records, Burton is accused of vandalizing Waymo’s self-driving cars on 17 separate occasions from June 24 to 26. The cameras installed on the Waymo vehicles captured each instance of the alleged vandalism.
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According to prosecutors, Burton is linked to another case where he allegedly targeted a three-car convoy of Waymo vehicles and punctured their tires using a knife. The incidents were also recorded on the vehicles’ installed cameras.
According to prosecutors, Burton is currently being held in custody without bail.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expressed gratitude towards the San Francisco Police Department for their diligent investigation in the case. She emphasized that in San Francisco, damaging someone else’s property is a serious offense, and those who engage in such acts of vandalism must face the consequences of their actions.
She stated, “We will not overlook the destruction of personal property, and the ones responsible for such crimes will be held responsible.”
