WASHINGTON — State and federal authorities announced criminal charges Monday against the suspect in Friday’s brutal attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., which is alleged to have included plans to break the speaker’s kneecaps.
Federal prosecutors charged the suspect, David DePape, 42, with attempted kidnapping and assault with intent to retaliate against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member.
Hours later, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced state charges, including attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder and threats to a public official and their family.
The federal complaint alleged that DePape sought to kidnap the House speaker when he broke into her San Francisco residence, not realizing that she was in Washington, D.C., and that only her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, was home.
“Pelosi was asleep when DePape came into Pelosi’s bedroom and stated he wanted to talk to ‘Nancy.’ When Pelosi told him that Nancy was not there, DePape stated that he would sit and wait,” the complaint said, adding that Pelosi called authorities from the bathroom.
Police said they recovered zip ties in Pelosi’s bedroom and in the hallway near the front door of the home. In DePape’s backpack, they said, they also found, “among other things, a roll of tape, white rope, one hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal.”
DePape is alleged to have said in an interview police conducted on the day of the attack 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,'” investigators said in the federal complaint.
The suspect is also alleged to have told investigators 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 federal complaint went on to say DePape told police that “he wanted to use Nancy to lure another individual” to him. The complaint didn’t identify that person.
Jenkins said Monday the state charges were based on facts in the federal affidavit and other information that will be detailed in a motion Tuesday to detain DePape without bail. His arraignment is set for Tuesday afternoon.
“It appears as though this was — based on his statements and comments that were made in that house during…
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