A woman slashed tires on 17 Waymo robotaxis last month, the San Francisco District Attorney said Thursday. But the high-tech vehicles’ cameras captured footage that led to her arrest.
Ronaile Joshua Burton, 36, pleaded not guilty to vandalism charges at her arraignment Wednesday. The District Attorney’s Office said Burton targeted the self-driving Waymo vehicles between June 24 and June 26. Each count alleges damage exceeding $400.
A Waymo spokesperson said that in some instances, riders were present in the vehicles when Burton allegedly slashed their tires. The spokesperson added that the company is seeking damages.
“The destruction of other people’s property will not go unaddressed in San Francisco,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement.
Prosecutors also allege the incidents are connected to another case where Burton is accused of using a knife to slash tires on a three-car Waymo caravan. Cameras on the Waymo cars also captured footage of that incident.
Burton is being held without bail after prosecutors successfully argued she poses a public safety risk. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Friday for a custody status hearing, and a preliminary hearing is set for July 23.
A LinkedIn profile that lists Burton’s name states she works as a “Dancer-jokester- fashion fitness dude” on TikTok. State records show she has an active security guard license.
“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,” Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White said in a statement Thursday. “The District Attorney continues to prioritize punishing poor people at the behest of corporations.”
San Francisco Police Department said the vandalism occurred on the following dates and locations. Some locations impacted numerous vehicles:
June 24
- 6:37 p.m. at Seventh and Brannan streets
- 6:45 p.m. at Brannan Street between Fourth and Fifth streets
- 6:50 p.m. Third Street at Stevenson Street
- 6:57 p.m. at Van Ness Avenue and O’Farrell Street
- 8:06 p.m. Unit block of The Embarcadero
June 25
- 3:05 p.m. at Sutter and Gough Streets
- 3:49 p.m. on the 1500 block of Greenwich Street
- 4:16 p.m. at McAllister and Fillmore streets
- 6:14 p.m. at Main and Folsom streets
- 6:44 p.m. at Sutter and Leavenworth streets
- 8:02 p.m. at Embarcadero and Howard Street
- 8:29 p.m. at Mason Street and Geary Blvd.
- 9:16 p.m. Hawthorne and Harrison streets
- 11:01 p.m. at Lincoln Way and 19th Ave.
June 26
- 12:06 a.m. at Leavenworth and Union streets
- 12:22 a.m. at Octavia Blvd. and Haight Street
- 1:19 a.m. at Townsend and Fourth streets
Correction: Using information from the District Attorney’s Office, an earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Burton as a man. She uses she/her pronouns, the Public Defender’s Office said.