San Mateo police detained two 15-year-old boys on Monday afternoon after Waymo operators remotely disabled a driverless vehicle to halt the passengers from drinking alcohol and firing a gel-pellet toy gun out of the windows.
Incident Details
The incident occurred around 2:10 p. m.
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when Waymo monitoring staff noticed the teenagers inside the autonomous vehicle and alerted the San Mateo Police Department.
Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop in a shopping center parking lot near El Camino Real and Highway 92.
They searched the vehicle and discovered alcohol alongside a painted toy gun that fired water-filled Orbeez beads.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office is currently reviewing the case for potential charges against the juveniles, who were ultimately released to their parents.
Waymo employees managed to keep the passengers inside the vehicle prior to the police arrival by using a remote communication ruse, informing the teens that the car was experiencing mechanical issues.
Police Response
San Mateo Police Department community relations officer Jeanine Luna provided the official account of the law enforcement response.
"Around 2:10 we got a call from a Waymo rep saying there were two people in their vehicle, and they saw them shooting out of the vehicle," Luna said.
The police department noted that the monitoring staff also detected signs of intoxication from the two teenage occupants.
"They also described the passengers as being intoxicated," Luna said.
The remote support team tracking the vehicle reported specific behavioral details regarding the weapon before police officers arrived at the scene.
