Defense Attorney: OpenAI Attack a 'Mental Breakdown' NOT Terror Plot | Crime Alert 04.15.26

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Crime alert hourly update breaking crime news now. I'm Sydney Silvani, a Texas man accused of firebombing the home of open AI CEO Sam Altman is being held without bail as details of a premeditated plot against the AI industry begin to surface. 20 year old Daniel Moreno Gamma appeared in court Tuesday, but did not enter a plea. While his defense attorney, Diamond Ward argues this was an acute mental health crisis sparked by autism, prosecutors are painting a much darker picture. They alleged Moreno Gamma traveled all the way from spring, Texas to San Francisco with one goal, a planned targeted attempt to kill the open AI CEO. Early Friday morning, Moreno Gamma allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at Altman's residence, setting an exterior gate ablaze. Less than an hour later, he was at open AI headquarters three miles away. Police say he threw a chair through glass doors and threatened to burn the building down with everyone inside. When he was tackled by police, he wasn't just carrying a lighter. He had a jug of kerosene in a multi part manifesto. That manifesto reportedly contained a hit list of AI executives and investors complete with their home addresses. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has charged him with two counts of attempted murder, targeting both Altman and a security guard, charges that could carry a life sentence. But the legal trouble doesn't stop at the state level. Federal prosecutors are stepping in with charges related to explosives and unregistered firearms. US Attorney Craig Missakian says the investigation is looking into a much heavier label for these actions. We are at the beginning of this investigation. But if the evidence shows that Mr. Moreno Gamma executed these attacks to change public policy or to coerce government or other officials, we will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism. And together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. As tensions over the future of technology rise, prosecutor Brooke Jenkins is framing this case as a stark warning. The discourse around AI needs to cool down before more lives are put at risk. My office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. This should also be a moment where our nation reflects on the often incendiary rhetoric that is being used in discussions about artificial intelligence and its future impacts on our society. In no way should we be at the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns. Moreno Gamma is due back in court on May 5th. More crime and justice news after this. A weekend bike ride turned into a nightmare in Spartanburg County and the details emerging from a South Carolina courtroom are devastating. On Sunday afternoon along Asheville Highway, two young boys were doing what kids do on a spring weekend, riding their bicycles on the sidewalk. At 12.20 p.m., a Honda Accord veered off the roadway at a high rate of speed, striking both children. The victims have been identified as 12-year-old Darion James Robbins and 9-year-old Mikhail Lee Smith. Tragically, both boys died from their injuries. Darion was just days away from celebrating his 13th birthday. The driver, Ari Atonio-Roblero Perez, appeared in court Monday. The prosecution's description of his state at the scene was harrowing. They alleged he was so intoxicated he could not stand or complete a field sobriety test. Officers noted slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and an open container in the vehicle. During the bond hearing, we heard from Darion's mother, Megan. In a moment of pure heartbreak, she told the court she was walking right behind her boys. She said, quote, I watched him almost hit me and that I ran to my son while he bled to death. Roblero Perez was denied bond on two counts of felony DUI resulting in death, along with charges for driving without a license. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Roblero Perez is in the United States illegally and a federal immigration detainer has now been placed on him. A brother of one of the victims told the judge, quote, Now I have to bury my own brother on his own birthday. Family members are now using their platform to plead with the public. If you drink, stay home. They want the world to remember Darion and Mikhail Lee, not as statistics, but as boys who brought joy to everyone they knew. Roblero Perez is scheduled to return to court on June 18th. Now to a disturbing case out of Brevard County, Florida, where a high school teacher is behind bars after being accused of a sexual relationship with a student. 37 year old Kirsten Rose, a math teacher at Cocoa Beach, Junior and Senior High School, was taken into custody following an investigation that began with a suspicious set of parents. According to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, the investigation was triggered in March after a male student returned home late from work and refused to explain his whereabouts. When his parents checked his location via a tracking app, they discovered he had been in an unfamiliar residence. While the teenager initially claimed he was visiting a girlfriend, investigators say he eventually admitted to be in a relationship with Rose. Detectives later determined the two had been communicating privately on Instagram since November 2025. Authorities alleged the relationship turned sexual this past February and continued throughout March. Rose is currently being held without bond at the Brevard County Jail. She faces five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, along with charges of lewd and indecent exposure by an authority figure. The Brevard County School District has not yet released a formal statement regarding her employment status, but the Sheriff's Office says the investigation remains ongoing. They are urging anyone with additional information to contact their special victim's unit. For the latest Crime and Justice Breaking news, be sure to tune in tomorrow on your favorite podcast app. With this crime alert, I'm Sydney Silvani.