California Senator Alex Padilla has been one of the loudest voices in the Senate against President Trump’s SAVE America Act, fighting against it on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

“I don’t put anything past Donald Trump in trying to hold on to power,” Padilla told Eyewitness News in a one-on-one interview last week.

The SAVE Act would require all U.S. voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register and a photo ID to vote. Padilla says it would disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens from making their voices heard.

“Your own driver’s license wouldn’t be sufficient to be able to cast your ballot. We’re talking passports or original birth certificates. If you’re a woman who changed her name when she got married, good luck trying to meet the documentary requirements to be able to exercise your right to vote,” said Padilla.

We’re less than two months from the California primary and almost six months from the 2026 midterms. Democrats like Padilla fear we could see ICE raids at polling places.

“It is against the law for that type of law enforcement presence to intimidate voters at the polls… When we heard that it was being entertained by the White House, we started asking the question. Then, multiple Department of Homeland Security officials on record publicly saying, ‘No, there’s no plans to do that. No, that wouldn’t be allowed.’ But we have to remain vigilant. Look, all the more reason for people to vote early, which you can in California, and vote by mail just to not have to worry about that potential come Election Day,” Padilla said.

Padilla tells Eyewitness News the biggest way he believes Democrats can rein in the president is by regaining their majority in Congress in the midterms. Trump went to war with Iran without approval from Congress. In a new IPSOS poll, 51% of Americans say the decision to take military action in Iran has not been worth it. Another 24% say it has been worth it, and 22% are unsure.

“A ceasefire is not a peace agreement. A ceasefire, and if it holds in two weeks, then what? The one thing that’s clear, though, is Donald Trump never justified, gave a clear reason, for beginning this war with Iran,” Padilla said.

Trump said Tuesday that a new round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan could happen in the coming days. A deal wasn’t reached over the weekend after Vice President JD Vance said Iran refused to give up their nuclear program. Padilla blames the war for rising gas prices and inflation.

“For all his distaste for California, California’s policy leadership and electric vehicles, all of a sudden these cleaner, more efficient and zero-emitting vehicles are a lot more attractive,” Padilla said.

When it comes to the crowded and chaotic governor’s race, Padilla told Eyewitness News he thinks that at this point, one Democrat and one Republican will move on to the runoff. So far, Padilla has not endorsed a candidate.

SAN FRANCISCO — The man accused of trying to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by throwing a Molotov cocktail at his San Francisco home is set to make an initial court appearance Tuesday.

Daniel Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, traveled to San Francisco last week and hurled the incendiary device at Altman’s home Friday, setting an exterior gate on fire before fleeing on foot, authorities said. Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building, they said.

No one was injured at Altman’s home or the company’s offices.

Authorities said Moreno-Gama, 20, expressed hatred of artificial intelligence in his writings, describing it as a danger to humanity and warning of “impending extinction,” according to court filings.

“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said during a news conference Monday.

Moreno-Gama is charged in California state court with two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. He tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at Altman’s residence, she alleged. Officials have not said whether Altman was home at the time.

Online state court records do not yet show whether Moreno-Gama has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Jenkins said the state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

On Monday morning, FBI agents went to Moreno-Gama’s home in a Houston suburb where they spent several hours before leaving. He has also been charged by federal prosecutors with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives. Those charges carry respective penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison.

“We will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism, and together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said when announcing the federal charges Monday.

The federal court documents do not list an attorney for Moreno-Gama, and he has not yet had his first appearance in federal court.

The document in which Moreno-Gama discussed his opposition to AI also made threats against Altman and executives at other AI companies, officials said.

“If I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message,” Moreno-Gama wrote, according to authorities.

Advocacy groups that have issued grave warnings about AI’s risks to society condemned the violence.

Anthony Aguirre, president and CEO of the Future of Life Institute, said in a written statement Friday that “violence and intimidation of any kind have no place in the conversation about the future of AI.”

Another group, PauseAI, said in a statement that the suspect had no role in the group but joined its forum on the social media platform Discord about two years ago and posted about 34 messages there, none containing explicit calls to violence but one that was flagged as “ambiguous.”

Discord said Monday that it has banned Moreno-Gama for “off-platform behavior.”

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – When Makayla Rene Settles turned 18, she left Raleigh, North Carolina, for a fresh start. She moved to Moorpark, California, to live with her biological father, Stephen Vincent Chavez, with plans to attend college and build a new life. Two days after she arrived, her family says she called terrified and asking for help.

“It was just the fear in her voice, her crying. I didn’t need details. I knew something was wrong, and I said, ‘I’m on the way,’” said Carolina Sandoval, Makayla’s mother.

Carolina says she rushed to Chavez’s home. When she saw her daughter, she was devastated.

“She’s barely walking,” Carolina said. “My brother picks her up and hugs her.”

Makayla was taken to a hospital, where a rape kit was performed. According to the family, the results came back positive for Stephen Vincent Chavez’s DNA. He was arrested that same night and charged with incest, taking advantage of a position of trust, and providing alcohol to a minor.

Her cousin, Crystal Sandoval, was in disbelief. She said, “I was screaming, I was crying. I just kept thinking, why would he do that to her? This is something she could not come back from.”

Crystal was right. Five months later, Makayla Rene Settles died by suicide.

“If I’m being honest, it feels like I handed my daughter to the devil,” said Carolina.

On the night Makayla was taken to the hospital, Sandoval says Chavez sent her a text message. It read, “I’m never drinking liquor again. I don’t want that blackout to happen again.”

Now, the family says they’ve been dealt another devastating blow. According to Crystal Sandoval, the Ventura County DA’s Office has told them the case may not go to trial because Makayla is no longer alive to testify.

“The DA was essentially saying, ‘We don’t know if we have a case because she’s no longer here,’ and when she told me that, I immediately said, ‘No, we’re not going to let that slide,’” said Crystal.

Determined to get justice, Crystal took to social media. Her videos went viral, drawing widespread outrage and prompting hundreds to promise to show up to Chavez’s next court hearing, scheduled for April 21 at the Ventura County Courthouse.

“It was like he took her sunshine away and just kind of broke her soul,” Crystal said.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement:

“We have seen the posts online and want to let the public know that our Sexual Assault Unit continues to prosecute the defendant for this extremely serious crime. This case has been filed since July 2025, when the evidence supported the filing of felony charges. As with any case, prosecutors filed charges based on the evidence. The court sets bail. Our office successfully moved to increase bail to $250K in July 2025 when the case was filed. The defendant requested that bail be reduced, but we successfully argued against that. The defendant has since posted $250K bail and is out of custody. With respect to the upcoming hearing, the April 21 date is an early disposition conference. This is a standard pretrial proceeding where the court and parties address the status of the case and set future dates as appropriate.”

Despite that statement, the family says they have already been told a trial is not guaranteed, and they are not backing down. Chavez has pleaded not guilty. His next court hearing is April 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 14 at the Ventura County Courthouse.