According to court documents filed Tuesday, the man accused of brutally attacking the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told police officers on the scene that he was on a “suicide mission” and had other targets.
In connection with Friday’s attack on Paul Pelosi, California prosecutors charged David DePape, 42, with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, false imprisonment, and threatening a public official.
DePape pleaded not guilty to all charges in state court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors filed a detention memo after DePape entered his plea, revealing comments he allegedly made to authorities and medics on Friday.
“I’m tired of the insane f——— level of lies emanating from Washington, D.C.” According to the filing, DePape told Paul Pelosi, “I came here to have a little chat with his wife.”
“I didn’t want to hurt him, but this was a suicide mission, you know.” “I’m not going to stand here and do nothing, even if it means losing my life,” he is said to have added.
According to the court filing, when asked if he had any other plans besides Pelosi’s house, DePape named several “prominent” state and federal politicians, their relatives, and a local professor. The individuals were not identified.
If convicted on the charges, DePape, who was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, could face 13 years to life in prison. DePape wore an orange jumpsuit and had his arm in a sling during the 15-minute hearing. DePape’s public defender, Adam Lipson, later told reporters that when police arrested him on Friday, his shoulder was dislocated. Lipson stated that as part of the defense, he intends to investigate DePape’s “vulnerability to misinformation.”
DePape, who will remain in the county jail, is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday for a bail hearing.
He is also charged with attempted kidnapping and assault with intent to retaliate against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member in connection with the assault. These charges, announced by the Justice Department on Monday, carry a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, DePape specifically targeted Pelosi’s home to confront the House speaker, not realizing she was in Washington, D.C. at the time. According to Jenkins, the attack appeared to be “politically motivated” based on statements and comments DePape allegedly made in the house during the encounter with Paul Pelosi.
DePape is accused of assaulting Pelosi with a hammer after police arrived at her home early Friday. Pelosi, 82, had surgery on Friday to repair a skull fracture as well as severe injuries to his right arm and hands.
According to the complaint filed by federal prosecutors, DePape attempted to kidnap the House Speaker when he broke into his San Francisco residence. Zip ties were discovered in Pelosi’s bedroom and in the hallway near the front door, according to police. They also discovered “a roll of tape, white rope, one hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal” in DePape’s backpack.
DePape is accused of telling police on the day of the attack that he was “going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her.”
“If Nancy told DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go; if she lied,’ he would break ‘her kneecaps,'” investigators claimed 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.”
Pelosi said in a statement Monday night that her husband was “making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process.”
