The suspect who attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, at their home early Friday morning with a hammer was reportedly carrying zip ties and duct tape.
Two sources who have been briefed on the incident told CNN that David DePape, 42, had a bag with him that contained multiple zip ties among other things, including duct tape.
Randy Quezada, the communications director for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said DePape broke into the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning and went upstairs to the bedroom where Paul Pelosi was sleeping. The two men did not know each other before the incident, the DA’s office said.
DePape confronted Pelosi and demanded to know where his wife was, shouting “where is Nancy?”, according to reports.
Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 at the start of the attack and left the line open to let the dispatcher know he needed help.
Officers arrived at the home 2:27 a.m to find Pelosi struggling with DePape over a hammer.
“Officers, while still outside of the doorway threshold, gave commands to both men to drop the hammer. Mr. DePape immediately pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently attacked him with the hammer. The officers immediately entered, tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took the hammer away from him, and took the suspect, Mr. DePape, into custody,” San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott said at a press conference on Friday.
DePape faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies after the attack. Prosecutors plan to file charges on Monday and expect his arraignment on Tuesday.
Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital where he underwent a “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Speaker Pelosi, who was not at home at the time of the attack said in a letter to colleagues on Saturday that, “our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop.”
“We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving,” she added.
