Man accused of Molotov attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pleads not guilty

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A judge in San Francisco accepted not-guilty pleas from Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, the man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home, according to court proceedings Tuesday. Moreno-Gama did not speak as his attorney entered the pleas during his arraignment in state court, the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors allege Moreno-Gama hurled a flammable Molotov at Altman’s home last month, igniting an exterior gate before he fled on foot. Less than an hour later, prosecutors said he went to OpenAI’s headquarters roughly 3 miles away and threatened to burn down the building.

Moreno-Gama, described in the reporting as 20 years old and from Spring, Texas, also faces federal charges, the AP said. His parents issued a statement shortly after the attack saying he has never harmed anyone and that he recently began having mental health issues.

During the hearing, Moreno-Gama’s defense attorney, Diamond Ward, argued that the accusations reflect a mental health crisis rather than an intent to harm. Ward also requested a mental health evaluation for Moreno-Gama, and the judge granted the request, scheduling another hearing later this month to review the results.

Ward said Moreno-Gama has been “publicly advocating for peaceful measures to address the danger of AI on humanity,” and she attributed his actions to “a mental health crisis and not any desire to harm,” according to the AP account. She also argued that prosecutors were trying to curry favor with Altman while ignoring evidence of her client’s mental health issues.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, speaking to reporters last month, described the case as a “targeted attack on Mr. Altman” and said prosecutors had evidence to substantiate the charges. The state charges Moreno-Gama faces include attempted murder, attempted arson and attempted criminal threats, carrying penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison, according to the reporting.

Federal prosecutors charged Moreno-Gama with possession of an unregistered firearm and with damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, the AP said. Those federal charges carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years and 20 years, respectively. Moreno-Gama made an initial appearance in federal court on Friday.

Authorities have not said whether Altman was home at the time of the alleged attack. Court filings cited in the AP report say Moreno-Gama works part-time at a pizzeria and is attending community college, and they describe writings expressing hatred of artificial intelligence, describing it as a danger to humanity and warning of “impending extinction,” the report said.