A 20-year-old man from Texas appeared in court in San Francisco on Tuesday after authorities accused him of attempting to kill Sam Altman by throwing a Molotov cocktail at his residence and later threatening to burn down the headquarters of OpenAI.
Authorities identified the suspect as Daniel Moreno-Gama of Spring, Texas. Prosecutors said Moreno-Gama threw an incendiary device at Altman’s home on Friday, which set an exterior gate on fire. Investigators said Moreno-Gama fled the scene on foot and later went to OpenAI’s offices, where he allegedly made additional threats.
Police reported that no one was injured in either incident. Authorities said Moreno-Gama traveled from Texas to San Francisco before carrying out the acts.
Prosecutors charged Moreno-Gama in state court with two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson. They alleged that he targeted both Altman and a security guard at the residence. The charges carry potential penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.
Federal prosecutors also charged Moreno-Gama with possession of an unregistered firearm and destruction of property by means of explosives. These charges carry penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison, respectively.
During the hearing, Moreno-Gama appeared in court wearing a jail uniform and agreed to delay his arraignment until May 5. The judge ordered him held without bail.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said prosecutors filed the charges based on evidence of a planned and targeted attack. She said the case would be prosecuted the same way regardless of the victim’s identity.
Moreno-Gama’s public defender said the case should be treated as a property crime and argued that prosecutors overcharged him. The defense also said Moreno-Gama is autistic and was experiencing a mental health crisis.
In a statement, Moreno-Gama’s parents said he had recently developed mental health issues and had not previously harmed anyone.
Court documents stated that Moreno-Gama wrote about his opposition to artificial intelligence and described it as a threat to humanity. Authorities said the writings included threats against Altman and other executives in the AI industry.
The FBI said it is investigating the case and described the incident as a serious and targeted attack.
