Who is Cody Balmer? What we know about suspect charged with torching Pa. Gov. Shapiro's residence
A Pennsylvania judge denied Cody Balmer bail on Monday evening.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WPVI) -- A 38-year-old man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder and terrorism, after he allegedly broke into Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence and set it on fire.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were in the residence at the time of the fire, which was reported at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They were evacuated safely and were not injured, according to state police.
Here's what we know about the suspect:
The suspect was identified as Cody Balmer, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County DA Fran Chardo told reporters.
He appeared for his arraignment on Monday evening, where he was denied bail.
VIDEO: Cody Balmer arrives at court
A neighbor told Action News her family home on Boas Street in Harrisburg was surrounded by police vehicles. She asked that we hide her identity, but said she actually encountered Balmer.
"It was, 'Hey, I'm going away for a long time,'" she recalled. "We just figured, oh, OK, whatever, he's just mumbling, who knows. Because the last few weeks, we noticed he was fighting some demons we'd never seen before."
The crime:
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens detailed the alleged attack, saying the suspect came over a fence and actively evaded troopers while they were searching for him on the property.
While they were searching, the suspect broke in and set the fires, according to Bivens, who said the incident played out "over a period of several minutes."
He allegedly made two Molotov cocktails from Heineken bottles he had at home and threw them inside the governor's mansion after breaking a window with a hammer, according to court documents.
After turning himself in, Balmer allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with the hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, the documents said.
Investigators said they recovered items at Balmer's home matching those used in the attack.
The part of the fence Balmer allegedly hopped to get inside the residence was sliced off by investigators so they could test it for DNA, sources familiar told ABC News.
Reaction from the governor
Earlier Sunday, Shapiro said in a statement, "My family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police."
"Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished," he added.
The state police said that while the investigation is continuing, "the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson."
The fire caused "a significant amount of damage" to part of the residence, according to state police.
PHOTOS: Fire damage at residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Problems in his home life
Balmer had in recent years struggled with problems in his home life as well as issues stemming from problems covering his own home mortgage, according to court records reviewed by ABC News.
Among his troubles, Balmer had grappled with a protracted back-and-forth over foreclosure proceedings and allegations that he assaulted his then-wife and children amid what he told police was his failed attempt at suicide.
Before he was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, aggravated arson and terrorism in the firebombing on the governor's mansion, Balmer was already due in court this coming Wednesday on charges stemming from the domestic assault allegations.
Balmer had worked as an auto mechanic in the Harrisburg area and served eight years as an Army Reservist from his late teen years onward. U.S. Army Spokeswoman Heather J. Hagan said in a statement that Balmer was a construction equipment repairer (62B) in the Army Reserve from April 2004 to June 2012. He had no deployments. He was a sergeant when he left the Army. The Service declined to say whether he had been discharged honorably, citing privacy laws.
In 2022, Balmer was sued by a mortgage lender seeking to foreclose on his Harrisburg house. By June 2024, he owed nearly $117,000 plus interest. A sheriff's sale had been set, but Balmer's lawyer asked that the sale be postponed, saying Balmer had found it harder to make ends meet because of bad luck and marital strife.
Balmer had "fallen behind in his mortgage due to several hardship factors, including injuries from an auto accident leading to his inability to work and maintain an income and a separation from his wife," his lawyer said in court documents. Still, he had just found a buyer despite "numerous issues in and with the property" and needed time to finish the sale. The case was dismissed in January 2025 as the parties had "resolved" the matter.
At the same time, he had an escalating and allegedly violent situation at home, court documents show.
In late January 2023, local police were called to a home in the Harrisburg area for what was characterized in court documents as an "active physical domestic" incident.
"A child caller advised his stepfather was beating his mother," the responding officer's affidavit said. The officer responded and outside the home met Balmer's then-wife "in an elevated state, yelling and crying about her husband, Cody Balmer, having assaulted her."
"Cody was still inside the residence," the officer said.
Balmer told the officer "that he had taken a bottle full of pills in an attempt to kill himself," the affidavit said. "An argument ensued between Cody and [his wife] to a point that his 13-year-old son" had "stepped in between them. Cody then admitted to shoving his son and that a fight ensued between all parties. Cody showcased injuries to his face."
Balmer had hit his 10-year-old son "in the chest and stepped on his broken leg in the midst of a scuffle with the victim and two others," and had hit his 13-year-old son and his wife "with closed fists, and bit his wife causing a puncture wound on her hand," according to the criminal complaint.
A $5,000 unsecured bail was set for Balmer, according to a criminal docket. The document says this was "to make [it] easier to co-parent."
In Pennsylvania, defendants given an unsecured bail do not have to post any money upfront, but must agree to pay the stated bail amount should they not show up for court or violate bail conditions, according to state law.
The assault case is still pending in Dauphin County. A separate criminal docket says that a hearing in that case was scheduled for this coming Wednesday.
Available court documents did not indicate whether he had entered a plea in the domestic assault case. His estranged wife and public defender did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment.
Balmer was also previously accused of forgery. Court records show he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Balmer's estranged wife's aunt told ABC News over the phone that she had only met him "a couple of times" but that "he seemed nice."
"He was a little quiet, just a little laid back, but he seemed nice," aunt Janel Jones said. She had heard of the arson attack of which Balmer is now accused - a "shock" to her, she said.
"It's a shock. To me, it's a shock. But you never know - I wasn't around him 24/7 either. The only person that could give you, like, a better understanding of him would be my niece, his wife," Jones said, adding that her niece and Cody have two little girls together, you know what I mean. So that's, this is crazy. This is really crazy."
A Facebook profile being reviewed by law enforcement in connection with Balmer reflects a mix of family photos with what appeared to be an expression of disdain for politicians on both sides of the aisle. His pictures include selfies with small kids wearing costumes, and other posts include critiques of both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, the latter of whom he criticized for his age and his economic policies.
Balmer also made numerous posts complaining about the high cost of living in the United States. In November 2022, he posted, "Can't pay rent? Sell your f**** organs! No more organs? F**** die then this is America be grateful for the opportunity you had."
In a 2022 post, Balmer shared an image of a needle-pointed flaming Molotov cocktail, with the inscription "be the light you want to see in the world."
Balmer's profile describes himself as a "certified master mechanic offering convenient mobile service and roadside assistance by appointment."
He was also a former employee of a local auto repair shop, Kinderman's, but hadn't worked there for "over two years," the shop said in a statement.
"While we are saddened to learn of these current charges, we fully support our men and women in law enforcement as well as our government officials," Kinderman's said. "We have no further comment at this time."
