SAN FRANCISCO — A Texas resident charged with hurling an incendiary device at the residence of artificial intelligence company CEO Sam Altman entered not guilty pleas Tuesday on attempted murder and arson charges.
Twenty-year-old Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama remained silent in his orange detention clothing while his defense counsel submitted the pleas during Tuesday’s state court proceedings. The Spring, Texas resident is also facing separate federal charges.
According to prosecutors, Moreno-Gama launched the explosive device at Altman’s San Francisco residence last month, igniting an exterior gate before escaping on foot. Investigators say he then traveled roughly three miles to OpenAI’s corporate offices within an hour and made threats to destroy the facility.
Defense attorney Diamond Ward, a deputy public defender in San Francisco, previously characterized her client’s actions following an earlier court date last month, stating Moreno-Gama was suffering from mental health difficulties and had been overcharged. Ward argued the incident constituted “a property crime, at best” and suggested prosecutors were attempting to gain favor with Altman.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Ward successfully petitioned for a psychological assessment of Moreno-Gama. The presiding judge approved the evaluation and set a follow-up hearing for later this month.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins previously described the incident as a “targeted attack on Mr. Altman” and stated prosecutors possessed sufficient evidence to support the charges.
In a public statement released shortly after the attack occurred, Moreno-Gama’s family said their son had never previously injured anyone and had recently begun experiencing mental health challenges.
Court documents reveal that Moreno-Gama, who maintains part-time employment at a pizza restaurant while enrolled in community college, had written extensively about his animosity toward artificial intelligence technology. His writings characterized AI as a threat to human existence and warned of “impending extinction,” according to legal filings.
Law enforcement has not disclosed whether Altman was present at his residence during the attack.
If convicted on the state charges, Moreno-Gama could face a sentence ranging from 19 years to life imprisonment.
