Suspect in OpenAI CEO's home attack pleads not guilty to state charges

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — The man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and threatening to burn down the company headquarters pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a series of state charges, including attempted murder.

Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, a 20-year-old from Houston, faces eight state charges, including two counts of attempted murder, attempted arson and possession of an incendiary device in connection with the April 10 attack on Altman's house.

State prosecutors also charged him with attempted criminal threats, possession of a flammable or combustible substance and attempted arson of an occupied building.

Moreno-Gama also faces federal charges of attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm.

At Tuesday's hearing, Moreno-Gama appeared with his attorney, Diamond Ward, a deputy public defender at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. Assistant District Attorney Heather Trevisan also attended the hearing.

Ward told San Francisco Judge Kenneth Wine that Moreno-Gama denies all of the charges against him and asked the court to conduct a mental health evaluation.

Moreno-Gama was remanded to state custody. He is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing on May 12 and a preliminary hearing on May 15.

State prosecutors claim Moreno-Gama traveled from Texas to San Francisco with the intention of killing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. They say he traveled with a knife, a gun, ammunition and a list of targets, as well as acquired multiple containers of kerosene to carry out his plan.

They claim Moreno-Gama acquired or made a Molotov cocktail and brought it to Altman's residence in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco around 3:30 a.m., lit the device and threw it, causing a fire on the top of the driveway gate.

Then, prosecutors say Moreno-Gama traveled around three miles across the city to OpenAI headquarters and attempted to break into the building with a chair, threatening to burn it down, before he was arrested by San Francisco Police.

According to a federal criminal complaint, police found Moreno-Gama in possession of incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a blue lighter and a document, seemingly written by Moreno-Gama, advocating against artificial intelligence and the executives of AI companies, including Altman.

According to federal prosecutors, Moreno-Gama writes in the document that he had killed or attempted to kill Altman. They say it also lists the names and addresses of board members, CEOs and investors of other AI companies.

In the document, authorities say Moreno-Gama also shares his views on the risks AI poses to humanity. At one point, they say he addresses Altman directly, stating: "If by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself."

Speaking to the press after the arraignment, Ward said Moreno-Gama had been "publicly advocating for peaceful measures to address the danger of AI on humanity," but suffered from a mental health crisis the night of April 10 and did not have any desire to harm.

She accused the government of overcharging the case and ignoring evidence in their possession of Moreno-Gama's mental health crisis and intent not to kill.

"He didn't have the desire to harm, and in fact, he did not harm anyone, and there is little to no damage to the gate," she said.

When asked for comment, a representative from the San Francisco District Attorney's Office said: "The Public Defender's comments were made outside of the courtroom and we will not be litigating this case in the press."

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has previously disputed the overcharging accusation, saying in a April 14 press conference that the evidence is "very clear that this was an attack on Mr. Altman."

Jenkins also dismissed the defense's mental health argument, saying there was no evidence that Moreno-Gama was suffering from mental health issues.

"At this point in time, I see somebody who understood what he believed his mission to be, and sought diligently to carry out that mission. So even if that is their defense, we are prepared to fight vigorously against it."

Moreno-Gama made his initial appearance in federal court Friday.