A man accused of puncturing the tires of Waymo driverless vehicles in San Francisco last month will have a preliminary court hearing on July 23, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.
Castro Valley resident Ronaile Joshua Burton, 36, was charged with 17 counts of vandalism on July 11 for the incidents, which occurred between June 24 and June 26. He was allegedly captured on video by cameras installed in Waymo’s vehicles.
“The destruction of other people’s property will not go unaddressed in San Francisco. People who vandalize property must be held accountable for their actions,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in the statement.
Due to concerns for public safety, Mr. Burton, who pleaded not guilty, is being held without bail.
In a statement sent to the media, Public Defender Adam Birka-White said his team plans to fight the charges on behalf of Mr. Burton, who identifies as a woman.
“Ms. Burton is someone in need of help and not jail, which is why our social workers are actively working to identify and secure appropriate services, as we continue to advocate for her release from jail,” Mr. Birka-White said.
A LinkedIn profile that matches Mr. Burton’s name and is listed in the Bay Area says he works as a “dancer-jokester-fashion fitness” worker for TikTok and was previously a medical technician for AdaptHealth in the city’s south side.
Waymo officials said the company intends to seek compensation for damages sustained and that in some cases, riders were present during the assaults.
“We can confirm that charges have been brought against the individual who aggressively vandalized a number of Waymo vehicles, some with riders present. Waymo is also taking steps to recover the damages sustained, and mitigate the potential for future events,” they said in a statement.
Last month, the company expanded its services in San Francisco to anyone who downloads its app, whereas previously, as many as 300,000 interested riders were waitlisted.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411.
