HOLLYWOOD, CA — A man was arrested on suspicion of vandalism Saturday after he was caught on video climbing onto a Waymo driverless taxi and damaging it in the middle of a busy East Hollywood intersection, authorities said.
Police responded at about 1:35 p.m. to reports of a disturbance near Sunset Boulevard and Edgemont Street, where callers reported a shirtless man standing on top of a vehicle and smashing its windshield, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officers found the man on the autonomous vehicle and took him into custody without further incident, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of vandalism. His name was not immediately released.
Video recorded by a bystander showed the man standing on the white Waymo vehicle, pulling equipment from its roof while traffic backed up around the intersection.
Video aired by KTLA appeared to show the man sitting in the shattered windshield before climbing onto the roof and tearing at the vehicle's sensor equipment while shouting. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was inside the Waymo when the damage began.
The suspect was described by police as a man between 25 and 35 years old who was shirtless and wearing brown pants.
Waymo has not publicly commented on the incident.
The vandalism is the latest incident involving Waymo vehicles in Los Angeles. The autonomous ride-hailing service expanded across much of the city in 2025, and its vehicles have periodically been targeted by vandals or become the focus of other high-profile incidents.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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Hollywood, CA Patch
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