Robot ‘Arrested By Cops After Terrorizing Old Woman

A routine evening stroll turned into a bizarre tech drama when police in China were forced to escort a humanoid robot away from a residential street after a 70-year-old woman said the machine terrified her.

The strange scene unfolded around 9 p.m. last Thursday in the Patane neighborhood, where the elderly woman was walking home while checking her phone. According to police statements reported by local outlets, she suddenly realized a human-shaped robot was standing directly behind her.

The machine — identified as a Unitree G1 humanoid robot — had apparently been operating nearby as part of a promotional demonstration for a local education center.

What happened next quickly drew a crowd.

Witness video circulating online shows the woman angrily confronting the robot as stunned bystanders looked on. At one point, she shouted at the machine while clutching her chest.

“You’re making my heart race!” she yelled, according to local reports. “Why are you following me? Are you crazy?”

The robot reportedly lifted both of its arms during the confrontation — a movement some viewers online jokingly interpreted as the machine “surrendering.”

Police soon arrived at the scene after receiving reports of a disturbance.

In what looked like something out of a sci-fi comedy, officers then escorted the humanoid robot away from the sidewalk as if it were a suspect. One officer even placed a hand on the machine’s shoulder while guiding it off the street.

Authorities later confirmed the robot had not physically touched the woman.

However, the encounter clearly rattled her.

Police said the woman complained of feeling unwell after the incident and requested medical assistance. She was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

Doctors later examined her and released her the same night.

“She reported feeling frightened but did not sustain any injuries,” a police spokesperson said in a statement. “No physical contact occurred between the robot and the woman.”

Officials also confirmed the robot belonged to a Macau educational technology center and was being used for public demonstrations.

Towin Mak, a representative for the organization operating the robot, said the situation appears to have been a misunderstanding.

According to Mak, the robot was leaving the area when the woman stopped in the middle of the walkway while looking at her phone.

“The robot simply stopped behind her because it could not pass,” Mak explained. “Its lights were on because it was still active, and when she turned around she was startled.”

Police later returned the robot to its operator — a 50-year-old man who had been supervising the demonstration.

Authorities reminded the operator to be more cautious when deploying robots in crowded public areas.

The odd encounter quickly went viral online, with many social media users joking that police had conducted the world’s first “robot arrest.”

Others, however, raised more serious concerns.

As humanoid robots become increasingly common in China and other parts of Asia, experts say incidents like this highlight the growing tension between emerging technology and everyday public safety.

The Unitree G1 model involved in the incident is one of several new humanoid robots designed to walk, interact with people, and perform promotional or entertainment tasks. The machines are becoming popular for marketing stunts and social media content.

But encounters with unfamiliar robots can still catch people off guard — especially at night.

For now, police say the case is closed.

The shaken woman has declined to file a complaint.

The robot, meanwhile, has been returned to work.