Attempted murder charge for Pelosi suspect who wanted to break US house speaker’s knees
- Suspect David DePape was charged in California with attempted murder on top of federal crimes
- He allegedly beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer at their San Francisco home
The man accused of attacking US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was charged on Monday with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping of a public official, with the assault now described by a lead prosecutor as politically motivated.
Suspect David DePape of California was arrested early Friday morning after he allegedly broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco mansion, intending to tie up the powerful politician and break her kneecaps with a hammer if she did not confess to Democratic “lies”, the US Justice Department said in a court filing.
DePape had tape, rope, zip ties and other materials with him, the Justice Department said, but he found only Pelosi’s husband Paul, whom he attacked, hitting him in the head with a hammer.
Federal authorities on Monday charged DePape, 42, with attempting to kidnap a US official and assaulting her family member over her actions in her job.
Hours later, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a slew of new state charges that she said include “attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder as well as threats to a public official and their family”.
If convicted on the state charges, DePape would face 13 years to life in prison, according to Jenkins.