Miami Theft Suspect Escapes in Driverless Waymo After Stealing $4,000 Camera

A thief employed an autonomous Waymo vehicle as an apparent escape mechanism while fleeing with a high-end camera in downtown Miami on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred near Fifth Street and North Miami Avenue, with surveillance footage documenting the entire encounter. The suspect approached the victim under the pretense of purchasing the equipment through Facebook Marketplace before absconding with the merchandise.

Content creator Aiden Chappell arranged to meet the individual to sell his $4,000 Sony video camera. According to Chappell, the man requested to test the device before making a purchase, but instead fled across the street without completing any transaction. The suspect then entered a waiting driverless Waymo and departed the scene, catching Chappell and investigators off guard with the unconventional getaway method.

Miami Police Department detectives are actively investigating the theft and attempting to identify the perpetrator. Officer Mike Vega stated that authorities plan to contact Waymo directly to obtain information about the vehicle’s passenger. Police emphasized that the company maintains good communication with law enforcement regarding such matters.

Vega advised residents conducting online transactions to utilize police station lobbies as secure meeting locations. The department offers its main lobby as a designated area where buyers and sellers can complete exchanges safely. For Chappell, whose livelihood depends on the camera equipment, the loss proved significant enough to launch a GoFundMe campaign.