The California man accused of viciously attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer was prepared to kidnap and break the kneecaps of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when he invaded the couple’s San Francisco home, federal prosecutors revealed in a latest criminal criticism Monday.
David DePape, 42, was charged with the federal crimes of attempted kidnapping of a federal official, and assaulting an instantaneous member of the family of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official.
DePape already was facing state charges of attempted murder and other felonies within the early Friday morning attack on Paul Pelosi. The 82-year-old suffered a skull fracture, and remained in an intensive care unit Monday.
The brand new federal criticism said that evidence shows DePape, who had been living in a garage of a house in town of Richmond for nearly two years, “was prepared to detain and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered” the Democrat’s residence.
Speaker of the USA House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi arrive on the red carpet for the Time 100 Gala on the Lincoln Center in Latest York on April 23, 2019.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who’s second in the road of presidential succession, was in Washington, D.C., on the time of the break-in.
DePape arrived at her San Francisco home toting zip ties, tape, rope, and not less than one hammer, authorities said.
During an interview with San Francisco Police after his arrest, DePape “stated that he was going to carry Nancy hostage and confer with her,” the criticism said.
“If Nancy were to inform DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to interrupt ‘her kneecaps,'” the charging document said. “DePape was certain that Nancy wouldn’t have told the ‘truth.'”
During his interview, DePape said he viewed Pelosi as “the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party,” in accordance with the filing.
“DePape also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then need to be wheeled into Congress, which might show other Members of Congress there have been consequences to actions,” the criticism said.
David Depape is shown in Berkeley, Calif.,on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. An intruder attacked and severely beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer within the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, while looking for the Democratic leader. Police were called to the house to ascertain on Paul Pelosi after they discovered the 82-year-old and the suspect, Depape, each grabbing onto the hammer, said Police Chief William Scott.
Michael Short | San Francisco Chronicle | AP
The filing said that the suspect “also explained generally that he wanted to make use of Nancy to lure one other individual to DePape.” That other person just isn’t identified within the criticism.
The charging document said DePape admitted breaking into the home through a glass door within the back, using the hammer he had brought with him.
Paul “Pelosi was asleep when DePape got here into Pelosi’s bedroom and stated he desired to confer with ‘Nancy,'” the criticism said. It noted that the suspect later told police that Pelosi appeared surprised when he showed up and announced, “he was searching for Nancy.”
“When Pelosi told him that Nancy was not there, DePape stated that he would sit and wait,” the criticism said. DePape reiterated that after Pelosi said the speaker wouldn’t be home for several days.
DePape soon afterward took out zip ties to bind Pelosi in order that DePape “could fall asleep as he was drained from having to hold a backpack to the Pelosi residence,” in accordance with the filing.
Pelosi moved toward one other a part of the home but was stopped by DePape, and together they returned to the bedroom, the criticism said. As the lads talked, Pelosi went into a rest room and grabbed a phone to call 9-1-1, the criticism said.
DePape said he felt like Pelosi’s actions “compelled him to reply,” in accordance with the filing.
“DePape remembered pondering that there was no way the police were going to forget in regards to the phone call,” the criticism recounted.
“DePape explained that he didn’t leave after Pelosi’s call to 9-1-1 because, very like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the choice of give up,” the charging document said. “DePape reiterated this sentiment elsewhere within the interview.”
DePape told police he and Pelosi then went downstairs to the front door. Police arrived and knocked on the door, and Pelosi ran to open it, the criticism said.
“Pelosi grabbed onto DePape’s hammer, which was in DePape’s hand. At this point within the interview, DePape repeated that DePape didn’t plan to give up and that he would go ‘through’ Pelosi,” in accordance with the filing.
“Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked them what was happening. DePape responded that every part was good,” the federal criticism said. “Officers then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer.”
When officers ordered the lads to drop the hammer, DePape gained control of it, and hit Pelosi in the pinnacle, knocking him out, authorities said.
DePape later told police that Pelosi’s actions resulted in Pelosi “taking the punishment as a substitute” of Nancy Pelosi.
Police found a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties on the crime scene, the Justice Department noted in a press release Monday. A few of those zip ties were in Paul Pelosi’s bedroom.
A later search of the garage where DePape was living found two hammers, a sword and a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, together with documents that included DMV paperwork and IRS letters.
Pelosi remained within the intensive care unit at a San Francisco hospital, surrounded by relations, on Monday morning, sources told NBC.
Law enforcement officials including FBI agents on Sunday obtained Pelosi’s account of the house invasion, a source with knowledge of the investigation told NBC.
Pelosi told police he had been asleep when DePape, whom he didn’t know, entered his bedroom searching for Nancy Pelosi, authorities said.
Pelosi had all of his cognitive functions and appeared to recall every part in regards to the incident, the source said.Â