Pelosi Attack Suspect Hit with 2 Federal Charges, Then San Francisco DA Adds 6 More
The man who allegedly broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, has been hit with two federal charges and six state ones in connection with the Friday incident.
The Justice Department filed a criminal complaint Monday that said David DePape told police he was prepared to hold the speaker hostage and question her and that he was prepared to break her kneecaps if she did not provide the right answers.
“DEPAPE stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her. If Nancy were to tell DEPAPE the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps. DEPAPE was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,’” the complaint said.
“In the course of the interview, DEPAPE articulated he viewed Nancy as the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party. DEPAPE also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress there were consequences to actions,” the document said.
“DEPAPE also explained generally that he wanted to use Nancy to lure another individual to DEPAPE,” the complaint said.
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, DePape faces federal charges of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties.
The combined maximum sentence on those charges is 50 years in prison.
On top of those charges, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Monday that DePape was being charged with state crimes of attempted murder, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder and threats to a public official and their family.
1/ Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced multiple felony charges against David DePape for his attack on Speaker Pelosi’s home.
Release: pic.twitter.com/YbcCl7i3Bq
— SF DISTRICT ATTORNEY (@SFDAOffice) November 1, 2022
5/ “When citizens of our city suffer as victims of crime, we will hold perpetrators accountable for their actions and work to deliver justice for all. Mr. Pelosi & his family have been personally harmed by the hands of DePape w/ his violent acts & he will be held accountable.”
— SF DISTRICT ATTORNEY (@SFDAOffice) November 1, 2022
Jenkins said in a news release that conviction on the state charges could put DePape in jail for 13 years to the rest of his life.
According to The Hill, the district attorney told reporters Monday that DePape “forced his way into the home through a rear glass door by breaking the glass,” then went upstairs where Paul Pelosi, 82, was sleeping.
Police said he DePape indicated he was there to confront Pelosi’s wife.
“Pelosi asked how they could resolve the situation, and what DEPAPE wanted to do. DEPAPE stated he wanted to tie Pelosi up so that DEPAPE could go to sleep as he was tired from having had to carry a backpack to the Pelosi residence. Around this time, according to DEPAPE, DEPAPE started taking out twist ties from his pocket so that he could restrain Pelosi,” the federal complaint said.
Pelosi made a trip to the bathroom where he called 911, according to the complaint. DePape then brought Pelosi downstairs to the front door.
When the police arrived, according to the complaint, “Pelosi ran over and opened it. Pelosi grabbed onto DEPAPE’s hammer, which was in DEPAPE’s hand. At this point in the interview, DEPAPE repeated that DEPAPE did not plan to surrender and that he would go ‘through’ Pelosi.”
“DEPAPE stated that he pulled the hammer away from Pelosi and swung the hammer towards Pelosi. DEPAPE explained that Pelosi’s actions resulted in Pelosi ‘taking the punishment instead,'” the complaint said.
On Monday, Jenkins said DePape brought a second hammer, zip ties, rope and a roll of tape with him when he entered the Pelosi home.
The federal complaint said that for the past two years, DePape has lived in a garage of a California residence. The garage was searched Saturday. According to the complaint, police found two hammers, a sword and a pair of rubber and cloth gloves.
On Monday, the speaker said her husband is “making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process.”
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