A 20-year-old Texas man accused of throwing an incendiary device at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was experiencing a severe mental health crisis at the time, according to his public defender, who argues prosecutors have dramatically overcharged the case.
Daniel Moreno-Gama made his first court appearance Tuesday in an orange jail uniform, appearing disheveled and withdrawn. The defendant, who has autism, kept his gaze down throughout the brief hearing and softly agreed to continue his arraignment, which has been rescheduled for May 5. A San Francisco judge ordered him held without bail.
According to authorities, Moreno-Gama travelled from Spring, Texas to the Bay Area and hurled a Molotov cocktail at Altman's residence on Friday, igniting an exterior gate before fleeing. Less than an hour later, he reportedly appeared at OpenAI's offices a few kilometres away and made threats to burn down the building. No injuries were reported at either location.
Defence Questions Severity of Charges
San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward characterized the incident as "a property crime, at best," and accused prosecutors of inflating charges to gain political favour and appease a high-profile billionaire.
"It is unfair and unjust for the San Francisco District Attorney and the federal government to fear monger and to exploit the mental illness of a vulnerable, young man by turning a vandalism case into an attempted murder, life exposure case to gain support of a billionaire," Ward stated.
Moreno-Gama faces two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson in state court, charges that carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life imprisonment. Prosecutors allege he attempted to kill both Altman and a security guard at the residence.
Parents Describe Recent Mental Health Decline
Moreno-Gama's parents released a statement indicating their son has never harmed anyone previously and that his mental health difficulties emerged recently. They expressed concern about his wellbeing and said they had been attempting to secure effective treatment for him.
"We have been trying our best to address these issues and get him effective treatment, and we are very concerned for his well-being," the family stated.
The young man works part-time at a pizzeria and attends community college. Court filings reveal he expressed strong anti-artificial intelligence views in his writings, describing AI as a danger to humanity and warning of "impending extinction."
Federal Charges Bring Terrorism Designation
Federal authorities have pursued additional charges, designating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. Moreno-Gama faces federal counts of possessing an unregistered firearm and damaging property by means of explosives—charges carrying up to 10 and 20 years in prison respectively.
"We will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism, and together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law," U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said Monday.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins defended the severity of the charges, stating that prosecutors had evidence supporting the attempted murder allegations and that Altman, as a victim, deserved justice regardless of his status.
"Regardless of a victim's status, they all deserve justice and they all deserve safety," Jenkins said.
The case raises broader questions about how the justice system handles individuals experiencing acute mental health crises and whether prosecution alone serves public safety when vulnerability and psychiatric distress are central factors in an incident.
This story is based on reporting from CBC World.