A 14-year-old is charged in fire that destroyed a driverless Waymo vehicle

The San Francisco Police Department has identified and served a search warrant on a teenager who is suspected of starting a fire in a Waymo self-driving taxi vehicle earlier this year.

On March 27th, investigators entered the suspect’s residence and seized evidence that connects the 14-year-old male with the February incident in which a crowd destroyed the driverless car.

The investigation was conducted by the SFPD Arson Task Force, which identified the suspect and developed probable cause for the search warrant. The district attorney’s office has filed charges against the minor while the juvenile probation department is deciding whether to put the suspect in custody before a court hearing.

The February 10th fire was reportedly caused by lit fireworks that were tossed inside the vehicle as it was surrounded by a crowd in Chinatown. Involved suspects were seen smashing windows and other parts with skateboards before leaving a fiery carcass for firefighters to put out.

In the past year, San Francisco residents have dealt with self-driving taxi annoyances, including blocked roadways and a Waymo car crashing into a fire truck. California’s DMV had suspended operations for Waymo’s rival Cruise in October after one of the company's vehicles struck and dragged a pedestrian who was initially struck by a human driver. A Waymo car also hit a bicyclist earlier this year.