Who does one blame when a thief remains at large after stealing yoga merchandise in January 2026, despite surveillance cameras capturing the incident and additional cameras installed inside and outside a Waymo robotaxi?
It has been six months since this bizarre theft occurred, and San Francisco police have been unable to track down the suspect or publicly reveal his identity.
The police said it was the first such case they had encountered involving an autonomous robotaxi. As for the studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga, she thought the incident was quite funny.
While the thief’s face was not visible on the studio’s security camera, all that he reportedly stole were some men’s shorts. Was it for a bet? We’ll only know if he gets arrested!
The Waymo Was Waiting Outside as the Shorts Were Stolen
According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Waymo robotaxi getaway car was kept waiting outside when the thief did his job, and in just three minutes, he was out of the store.
He even had time to use the autonomous vehicle’s boot to store his loot and sit comfortably before leaving the area. Given the use of a Waymo, the case is definitely a first for the San Francisco police.
However, officers often obtain footage from the company whenever an investigation is underway, such as in this case, where investigators can potentially obtain details such as the suspect’s identity, the time of the crime, payment information, and other records from Waymo.
The San Francisco police issued a search warrant that led Waymo to hand over the account details of the suspect who ordered the ride and used the robotaxi as a getaway car.
However, Sgt. Tim Faye said the account information did not lead the police to the thief. Speaking of the video evidence, Waymo no longer had the vehicle’s interior footage by the time the search warrant was filed four months later, in April.
In the interest of privacy, the faces of the people who were outside the car had been blurred, otherwise the suspect could have been identified in the footage that recorded him entering the robotaxi. The company did not reveal for how long it saves the footage. Faye said:
“It’s highly unusual in the first place that a Waymo is even used by a suspect. It was disappointing that the internal video was not able to lead to the recognition of a suspect.”
Waymo confirmed that it does not use facial recognition or biometric data to identify people. A company spokesperson said Waymo will push back against requests from the police if it needs to protect rider privacy.
Waymo Robotaxis Have Been Used as Getaway Cars
While a thief fleeing in a Waymo may have been a first for San Francisco police, similar incidents have occurred in other cities where Waymo robotaxis operate.
In 2025, a grocery store was robbed in Los Angeles, and the thief fled in a Waymo. However, officers were quick to react as they pursued the robotaxi, which then pulled over after sensing police lights, leading to the thief’s arrest.
The studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga, Farah Issa, had a video that shows the suspect arriving in a Waymo, performing the theft while the Waymo waited outside for him, and then sitting in the robotaxi minutes before the vehicle left the location. She said:
“I thought it was quite funny. He just stole a bunch of men’s shorts.”
Now, though, with the trail growing cold, it remains to be seen whether San Francisco police will be able to make an arrest in the case.