CNN
–
The man who allegedly assaulted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi at the couple’s San Francisco home was carrying a bag containing multiple zip ties, a source briefed on the matter said. incident
David DePape, 42, faces charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other crimes in connection with the Friday morning attack, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said.
Depape confronted Pelosi and asked where his wife was, “Where’s Nancy?” CNN previously reported.
The new detail adds to the understanding of what happened during Friday’s raid, in which DePape also tried to arrest Paul Pelosi, two sources told CNN on Friday.
The cry “Where’s Nancy” had echoes of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
While police have yet to determine a motive, they believe DePape was intentional about going into the home.
Police said Depape entered the home through a back door and it is unclear if he bypassed any security measures.
Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 at the start of the attack, a law enforcement source and another source familiar with the matter previously said. He managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear the conversation in the background, speaking cryptically but making it clear he needed help, according to law enforcement sources.
San Francisco police entered the home around 2:27 a.m. local time Friday (5:27 a.m. ET) to find Pelosi struggling with DePape with a hammer, according to the city’s police chief. Officers saw Depape “violently assault” Pelosi with a hammer before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him.
“The officers, while outside the doorway, ordered both men to drop the hammer. Mr. DePape immediately pulled the hammer from Pelosi and violently attacked him with the hammer,” Scott said at a news conference Friday. “The officers immediately entered, tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took the hammer from him, and the suspect, Mr. DePape took him into custody.”
According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, DePape will be charged with multiple felonies on Monday and arraigned on Tuesday.
Pelosi was taken to a hospital after the attack and “underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured skull and serious injuries to her right arm and hand,” Drew Hamill, a spokeswoman for Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement Friday evening. Paul Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery.
Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to all members of the US House of Representatives on Saturday that her husband continues to improve after the attack but that his children and grandchildren are “heartbroken and traumatized”.
This story has been updated with additional information.
