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Suspect in Altman home firebombing in court
The 20 year old suspect in the firebombing of the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared in court. Prosecutors are pursuing attempted murder charges. Defense said case is over charged.
SAN FRANCISCO - The man accused of attempting to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by throwing a Molotov cocktail at his San Francisco home was experiencing a mental health crisis and has been overcharged, his public defender said.
Daniel Moreno Gama, 20, made his initial court appearance Tuesday after San Francisco police arrested him early Friday. Authorities allege he threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home and threatened to burn down the artificial intelligence company’s headquarters.
Moreno Gama was not arraigned. Prosecutors argued he should remain in custody, saying he poses a threat. A judge agreed.
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Prosecutors cite manifesto
What they're saying:
In court filings, prosecutors said Moreno Gama traveled from Texas after writing a manifesto urging others to target tech leaders.
The document states in part that if he is "going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am sincere in my message."
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins rejected claims that the charges are excessive, calling the incident a "targeted attack on Mr. Altman." She said prosecutors would pursue the case the same way regardless of the victim.
"If somebody comes here with the intent to commit murder and attempts to effectuate that murder, that is the case that we will take extremely seriously and we will charge accordingly," Jenkins said.
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Defense calls incident ‘property crime’
The other side:
No one was injured at Altman’s home or at company offices.
Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward described the case as "a property crime, at best."
"This case is clearly overcharged," Ward said. "No one was injured and there appears to be some damage to a gate."
Moreno Gama’s defense team said he is on the autism spectrum and was in crisis at the time.
"What’s becoming clear is that Daniel’s actions appear to have been driven by an acute mental health crisis," Ward said.
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Attempted murder charge in Molotov cocktail attack on Sam Altman's SF home
Daniel Moreno-Gama was charged with attempted murder after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home.
Next court date set
What's next:
Moreno Gama is scheduled to return to court May 5 at 9 a.m., when he is expected to face formal charges.
The Source: Court appearance for Daniel Moreno Gama, Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.