Judge denies bail for man accused of setting fire at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pauses during a news conference at the governor's official residence discussing the alleged arson that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, Apr. 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A man who allegedly scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was denied bail Monday as he faced charges including attempted homicide, terrorism and arson.

Cody Balmer spoke with a public defender at times as he appeared in court late Monday afternoon after being released from a hospital, where he was taken after an unrelated medical event.

Balmer, 38, told police he had planned to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he encountered him after breaking into the building, according to court documents. A motive for the attack, including whether it had anything to do with Shapiro’s politics or religious beliefs, wasn’t immediately clear.

Balmer’s mother told The Associated Press on Monday that she had tried in recent days to get him assistance for mental health issues, but “nobody would help.” Christie Balmer said her son was not taking his medicine.

However, in court, Balmer politely told a judge he did not suffer from any mental illness.

“That’s the rumor, but no, ma’am,” he said.

He said he was an unemployed welder with no income or savings and “a lot of children.” He did not enter a plea to the charges, which include aggravated assault.

The fire caused significant damage and forced Shapiro, his family and guests, including other relatives, to evacuate the building early Sunday. The residence, built in 1968, did not have sprinklers, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. He estimated the damage could be in the millions of dollars.

Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover in the same room Saturday night along with members of Harrisburg’s Jewish community. They were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors about 2 a.m. Sunday. They fled and firefighters extinguished the fire, officials said. No one was injured.

Balmer had walked an hour from his home to the governor’s residence, and during a police interview “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit that did not expand on that point. Afterward, he returned home, where police said they later found clothing he wore at the time and a small sledgehammer.

Balmer turned himself in at state police headquarters after confessing to his former partner and asking her to call police, which she did, the affidavit said. Authorities did not say whether he has a lawyer.

Balmer had been due in court later this week in an assault case in which he was accused of punching two relatives and stepping on a child’s already broken leg in 2023. In court Monday, he told the judge he did not have any drug or alcohol problems, but acknowledged missing a few court dates in the past.

Shapiro says he is unbowed

Hours after the fire, an emotional Shapiro, who is viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said the intruder could not deter him from doing his job or observing his faith.

“When we were in the state dining room last night, we told the story of Passover” and the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom, Shapiro said Sunday. “I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempts to put on me by attacking us as they did here last night. I refuse to let anyone who had evil intentions like that stop me from doing the work that I love.”

Police say suspect hopped security fence and forcibly entered residence

Balmer, who is registered as an unaffiliated voter, appeared to have carefully planned the attack, police said. He was inside the residence for about a minute before he escaped and was later arrested in the area, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.

He hopped over a nearly 7-foot-high (2-metre-high) iron security fence surrounding the property, eluded officers who became aware of the breach and forcibly entered the residence before setting it on fire, authorities said. He used beer bottles filled with gasoline to make Molotov cocktails, documents say.

Balmer has faced criminal charges over the past decade including simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court records. He also had financial problems in recent years, including a lender filing for foreclosure on a modest Harrisburg house he owned in 2022 over missed mortgage payments, court records show. A deed transfer shows Balmer sold the house for US$60,000 last September to settle the debt.

He is the father of at least three children, with two women filing court complaints seeking child custody agreements in 2012 and 2023.

‘We have to be better than this,’ Shapiro says

The fire badly damaged the large room that is often used for entertaining crowds and art displays. Large west- and south-facing windows were completely missing their glass panes and shattered glass littered pathways. A charred piano, tables, walls, metal buffet serving dishes and more could be seen through broken windows and fire-blackened doors.

“We don’t know the person’s specific motive yet,” Shapiro said at the news conference. “But we do know a few truths. First: This type of violence is not OK. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another or one particular person or another. It is not OK, and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that Balmer did not appear to be a fan of his, either.

“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody,” he said. ”And certainly, a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.”

By Mark Scolforo And Marc Levy.

Associated Press reporters Michael Biesecker and Michelle Price in Washington and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.