A robbery suspect who hit a grocery store in the Fairfax District and attempted to flee in a self-driving vehicle Monday night is in custody, police confirmed to KTLA.
Details are limited, but the Los Angeles Police Department said the incident unfolded just before 8:30 p.m. at the Ralphs grocery store located at the intersection of West 3rd Street and La Brea Avenue.
Details are limited and it’s unclear exactly what happened inside the store, with police saying the suspect, who stole an unknown amount of merchandise, got into an altercation with the store’s security guard before fleeing in an autonomous Waymo vehicle.
There are unconfirmed reports that the suspect used pepper spray to evade the security guard, though police have yet to confirm that specific detail.
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
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L.A. police took a robbery suspect who fled in a driverless Waymo vehicle into custody on Jan. 6, 2025. (RMG News)
Responding officers were informed that the suspect fled in a Waymo and were eventually able to locate the autonomous vehicle.
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In video of the traffic stop obtained by KTLA, at least four patrol cruisers were behind the suspect when the driverless car pulled over some three miles from the intersection of South Wilton Place and Country Club Drive in Arlington Heights.
Officers surrounded the vehicle with guns drawn and ordered the suspect out, where he was quickly taken into custody and placed in the back of a police cruiser.
According to Waymo, its software is designed to recognize police sirens and lights and “will pull over as appropriate.”
“If your trip is interrupted by an interaction with law enforcement, Support will be notified and will contact you through the in-car speakers or your phone. Support will also speak to law enforcement officials through the in-car speakers to resolve the issue,” the company’s support page says.
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