Daniel Moreno-Gama, middle, appears in court with Deputy Public Defenders Diamond Ward, left, and Nuha Abusamra on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in San Francisco.
Jeff Chiu/AP
The parents of a 20-year-old man officials accused of throwing a firebomb at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home and threatening to burn down the company’s headquarters issued a statement Tuesday that said he “has been suffering recently from a mental health crisis.”
“We’ve been trying our best to address these issues and get him effective treatment,” Daniel Moreno-Gama’s parents said, “and we are very concerned for his wellbeing.”
The family’s statement described him as a caring person who until “very recently” worked at a restaurant and attended college. “He has never harmed anyone,” his parents said.
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The statement came hours after Moreno-Gama, of Texas, appeared at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice in an orange suit for the first court appearance since his arrest last week. He sat in a chair next to two deputy public defenders who represented him.
He only muttered one word, “Yes,” when one of his attorneys asked if he agreed to postpone his arraignment, which was rescheduled to May 5.
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Moreno-Gama was charged in Superior Court with attempted murder, attempted arson, possession of an explosive device and other charges in a case authorities said was a targeted attack on Altman and OpenAI over fears about artificial intelligence. He was also charged in federal court with attempted property damage and destruction with an explosive as well as possession of an unregistered gun.
Authorities said Moreno-Gama approached a driveway gate at Altman’s Russian Hill home around 3:40 a.m. Friday, with a lit Molotov cocktail in hand, before throwing it and taking off. The gate caught fire, but security guards extinguished the flames, authorities said. No one was injured.
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Security camera footage of a person, identified by federal officials as Daniel Moreno-Gama, preparing to throw a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Moreno-Gama made his first court appearance Tuesday.
FBI
About 90 minutes later, authorities alleged, Moreno-Gama showed up at Open AI’s Mission Bay headquarters, where they said he struck glass doors with an outdoor chair. Security guards said Moreno-Gama told them he came to burn down the headquarters and kill anyone inside, authorities said.
Police found “incendiary devices,” a kerosene jug, a blue lighter and a manifesto that spoke of his apparent intent to kill Altman and concerns over AI. In a document filed Tuesday, prosecutors said Moreno-Gama, who carried a list of targets, spelled out in the manifesto “why others should continue his work by killing his other named targets.” Their names were not released.
Superior Court Judge Kenneth White called the alleged crimes “extraordinarily bad” and, referencing court documents, said Moreno-Gama was “encouraging others” to act in a similar manner. White ordered Moreno-Gama to not contact and stay away from Altman and others on the target list if released from custody at a later date.
Deputy Public Defenders Nuha Abusamara, left, and Diamond Ward are representing the man suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Giselle Garza Lerma/S.F. Chronicle
After the brief hearing Tuesday, his attorneys described Moreno-Gama as a “young man with a history of autism and mental health illness.” Before the attacks, he was working part time at a pizzeria and attending community college, Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward told reporters.
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“What’s becoming clear is that Daniel’s actions appear to have been driven by an acute mental health crisis,” Ward said.
She said she believed the case was “overcharged.” The incident amounted to a “property crime case at best,” she added.
“By charging Daniel as they have, the district attorney’s office is clearly not interested in looking at what happened but rather contributing to the sensationalized media around this case, specifically because of who the complaining witness is,” she said.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks at the San Francisco Superior Court Hall of Justice.
Giselle Garza Lerma/S.F. Chronicle
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins pushed back.
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“The evidence is clear. Much of it is on video. We’ve got a manifesto,” she said. “They are going to grasp onto whatever defensive straw that they can find.”
Moreno-Gama’s actions were targeted and intentional, Jenkins said, adding that he traveled to California, booked hotel rooms and assembled the weapons he carried.
“This is a person who had a clear understanding of his mission, where his target lived and worked, and was prepared to carry out his mission as he attempted to do,” she said.
She added: “It is very clear this was a targeted attack on Mr. Altman. It wouldn’t matter if this was a billionaire or a CEO or any average San Franciscan.”