California man faces charge in arson at Google headquarters

A man anxious that Google was watching him may have carried out a series of attacks against the company’s Mountain View headquarters, according to police.

Google has since confirmed with the Verge that no self-driving cars were harmed during Diaz’s attacks, so it’s possible the police affidavit might have misidentified a Google Street View auto. Two witnesses reported hearing gunshots about half a mile away from where the fire broke out, and police arrived to find five bullet holes in Google office windows.

At around 11 p.m. May 19, a Google employee spotted a man throwing two beer bottles at a street view vehicle – one of a fleet that captures images on streets around the world – in the parking lot on Salado Drive.

According to the affidavit, Diaz told investigators he was responsible for all three attacks and was planning another before he was stopped and arrested. Both explosives mostly burned the surrounding ground, but did little damage to the vehicle.

A month later, police responded after shots were fired through a window of one of Google’s buildings. Officers also found a pipe bomb in his auto when they pulled him over, according to NBC.

On June 19, another vehicle on Google’s campus was set on fire using what looked like a squirt gun filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid, the affidavit said. The cars are outfitted with special cameras for taking photos of local streets for Google Maps.

Police said Diaz’s gray SUV and physical description match other surveillance footage and reports.

The man told authorities he was upset because he felt Google was watching him. Though he claimed the object was used as a target for target practice, the bomb squad that was later called in said it was an unfinished explosive device. The same SUV was also recorded on the surveillance video.

The other three incidents Diaz admitted to committing took place between May and June.

Diaz made a brief appearance in a San Jose federal court Friday, but didn’t enter a plea.