Feds: Upset by Google, man threw Molotov cocktails at Street View car near HQ

(credit: Photograph by Rogers Cadenhead)

An Oakland, California, man now faces federal arson charges after he was accused of separate instances of throwing Molotov cocktails at Google Street View cars and other vehicles parked near Google headquarters.

No one was injured in the attacks, but one of the cars involved was destroyed. According to the criminal complaint against Raul Diaz, this was a self-driving car, but a Google spokesperson told Ars the damaged vehicle was not self-driving. (We're awaiting further clarification).

According to an affidavit written by Michael Nuttall, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the attacks began in May. The Mountain View Police Department first responded to a reported incident of arson at a Google building on May 19, 2016. There, two broken Blue Moon beer bottles were found, one with the wick still intact. A Street View vehicle appears to have been targeted, but it was undamaged.

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