12 hours Ago By TribLive
PHILADELPHIA — In a roughly minute-long phone call to Dauphin County 911, the man accused of setting three fires in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence told dispatchers Pennsylvania’s chief executive needed to leave his family and friends alone. “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,” said the caller, adding that Shapiro needed “to stop having my friends killed.” Balmer, 38 was charged Monday with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and related offenses. The full call, which was placed less than an hour after the early Sunday break-in at the governor’s residence, was made available through a Right to Know request Friday afternoon and offers additional insight into Balmer’s mindset after the arson.
Authorities say Balmer walked from his mother’s house in Penbrook Borough, bypassed Shapiro’s 24/7 security detail, and set three fires in the residence before fleeing. In the 911 call, Balmer told the dispatcher he wasn’t hiding and was ready to confess to what he’d done. He would turn himself in later Sunday.
Throughout the call, Balmer appears out of breath and delusional, but maintains a relatively steady cadence. He goes on to call Shapiro a “monster.” “I’m tired of offering extensions of peace,” he said.
“I only want to be able to provide for my children. I should not be taken to these extremes. It’s not fair.
I wish no harm onto anyone, but that man, that man, he is doing serious harm to probably yourself included, and I do wish you the best, sir.” To date, authorities have not publicly announced a motive and Shapiro has been careful not to speculate. It remains unclear how closely Balmer followed Shapiro’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war, or whether the governor was targeted because of his faith or prominence as a Jewish leader.
Still, some members of the Jewish community, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D.-N.Y.
, have raised concern over the timing — during Passover — and the fact Balmer told police he was “harboring a hatred” for the governor. In a subsequent interview with police, Balmer said he would have attacked Shapiro with a hammer if he had seen him inside the residence. Balmer’s mother told reporters and authorities her son, who she said has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had been off his medication for about a year.
Penbrook police confirmed they followed up on a call Balmer’s mother placed asking for help after the county’s crisis intervention services couldn’t offer assistance. Penbrook police said they similarly couldn’t petition for Balmer’s involuntary mental health commitment based on hearsay. Balmer had a series of run-ins with authorities that go back a decade, including traffic citations.
Balmer pleaded guilty to attempting to pass a forged paycheck in 2015 and was sentenced to 18 months’ probation. Penbrook police also responded to a 2023 call involving Balmer after a child called to say his “stepfather was beating his mother.” In that incident, Balmer told authorities he’d tried to kill himself by taking a bottle of pills.
In a subsequent fight, Balmer’s wife said he punched her in the face and bit her hand after she tried to stop him from “violently” shoving his stepson. That case is pending..
