Cody Balmer's 911 call after fire at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence released
The 911 call placed by Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence last weekend, has been released by officials in Dauphin County.
The 38-year-old is accused of scaling a perimeter fence at the Harrisburg property, breaking windows and throwing Molotov cocktails early on Sunday, April 13, hours after Shapiro, who is Jewish, celebrated Passover Seder with his family. A search warrant released by Pennsylvania court officials said Balmer called 911 just before 3 a.m.
CBS News Philadelphia obtained the Sunday morning 911 call, in which Balmer identifies himself to the dispatcher by name.
The call, which lasts 1 minute and 13 seconds, begins with Balmer saying he doesn't really have an emergency, and he apologizes for this before bringing up Shapiro.
"Gov. Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people. He needs to leave my family alone," Balmer said.
Balmer continued, saying that Shapiro needs to keep his eyes off his daughters and stop having his friends killed.
"Our people have been put through too much by that monster... I'm tired of offering extensions of peace, I only want to be able to provide for my children," Balmer said.
Balmer said he wished no harm to anyone, and then told the 911 operator, "That man is doing serious, serious harm to probably yourself included."
He wished the dispatcher the best before saying, "You all know where to find me. I'm not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done."
His mother, Christie Balmer, previously told CBS News that her son is "mentally ill and he went off his medication" before the attack on the Governor's Residence. She had tried to get her son "picked up" by four different police departments the week before, but said she couldn't get anybody to help.
"So he was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened," she said.
According to documents in the case released on Wednesday, April 16, investigators believe Balmer had "political motivation" connected to the conflict in Gaza.
Balmer's ex-girlfriend called Pennsylvania State Police and said the 38-year-old was responsible for setting the fire. The woman said Balmer confessed to her that he set the fire and wanted her to call the police to turn him in.
He then turned himself in a short time later at PSP headquarters on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg and later spoke to troopers after being read his rights.
He was charged with attempted murder, terrorism and other charges. The Dauphin County district attorney is also considering ethic intimidation charges.
