San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old man early Friday after an alleged Molotov cocktail attack outside Sam Altman’s home in North Beach, then detained him again minutes later after threats outside OpenAI’s headquarters in the city.
OpenAI said no one was hurt and said the man was in custody. The company said it was helping law enforcement with the investigation after the suspect was recognized at the second scene and taken into custody.
Police said officers first responded at 4:12 a.m. PT to a home in North Beach “regarding a fire investigation.” Investigators said an unknown man threw “an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate,” then fled on foot. About 55 minutes later, at 5:07 a.m. PT, officers were sent to a business on the 1400 block of 3rd Street “regarding an unknown male subject threatening to burn down the building.” OpenAI’s headquarters are at 1455 3rd Street.
Read Also: Molotov Cocktail Suspected in Fire Outside Sam Altman’s San Francisco Home
According to police, officers at the second location recognized the man as the same suspect from the earlier incident and “immediately detained him.” The San Francisco Police Department said charges were still pending and that the case remained an open and active investigation. The police statement did not mention Altman or OpenAI.
Dispatcher audio reviewed by NBC News included a person saying, “Someone threw a Molotov cocktail slash sticky bomb at the gate of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI’s residence.” The arrest was first reported by Wired. For more on the earlier fire outside Altman’s home, see Molotov Cocktail Suspected in Fire Outside Sam Altman’s San Francisco Home.
