San Francisco Yoga Studio Thief Escapes in Driverless Waymo, Still at Large
A thief who robbed Hot 8 Yoga Studio in San Francisco's Marina district fled in a self-driving Waymo taxi. Six months later, police have no suspect.
SF Thief Uses Driverless Waymo as Getaway Car After Yoga Studio Robbery
A suspect who stole merchandise from Hot 8 Yoga Studio in San Francisco's Marina district last January remains unidentified six months after using a self-driving Waymo vehicle as a getaway car, according to NY Post Metro.
The thief made off with a quantity of yoga pants and other goods from the studio before boarding a driverless white Jaguar that had been parked out front. San Francisco police are describing it as the first robbery in the city in which a suspect used an autonomous vehicle to flee the scene.
"It's highly unusual in the first place that a Waymo is even used by a suspect," San Francisco Police Sergeant Tim Faye told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Despite Waymo vehicles being fitted with multiple cameras — both interior and exterior — investigators have been unable to identify the perpetrator from the footage obtained. Officers secured a search warrant for the interior video, but by the time it was served, that recording was no longer available. Exterior footage showed faces blurred, a standard privacy measure applied by the company.
"I would think it would be easier to solve in a Waymo," Faye said. "It was disappointing that the internal video was not able to lead to the recognition of a suspect."
A Waymo spokesperson told the Chronicle that the company scrutinizes law enforcement requests to ensure they are legally valid, and will push back or ask police to narrow the scope of requests in order to protect rider privacy.
The manager of Hot 8 Yoga Studio shared surveillance footage from the studio's own cameras with reporters. That video showed the driverless vehicle dropping the suspect off, waiting while the robbery took place, and then driving the person away.
The incident is new ground for the Bay Area, but autonomous vehicles have been exploited by criminals elsewhere. In January 2025, a suspect in Los Angeles attempted to use a Waymo to flee after robbing a grocery store, according to local station KTLA. That attempt failed: Waymo vehicles are programmed to pull over when they detect police lights and sirens, which were already active in the area, and officers were able to apprehend the suspect.
No arrest has been made in the San Francisco case. The Post reached out to the San Francisco Police Department, Hot 8 Yoga Studio, and Waymo for further comment.
Source: NY Post Metro