Oct. 30 (UPI) — One day after her husband Paul was violently attacked in California, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said their children and grandchildren “are heartbroken and traumatized.”
The comments on Saturday night were the first since since her 82-year-old husband was attacked with a hammer at their home in the Pacific Heights section of San Francisco. Pelosi was in Washington. D.C., at the time.
“Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to all House of Representatives members. “Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop.”
David DePape, 42, faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies in relation to the attack, which happened after 2 a.m. on Friday. He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
“We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving,” Pelosi wrote.
Paul Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for surgery to “repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Drew Hammill, the speaker’s spokesman, said. “His doctors expect a full recovery.”
“Please know that the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes from so many in the Congress is a comfort to our family and is helping Paul make progress with his recovery,” Pelosi wrote. “His condition continues to improve.”
Sgt. William Scott said officers observed Depape and Pelosi holding onto a hammer when they arrived on the scene. Depape then pulled the hammer away from Paul Pelosi and began assaulting him with it until officers were able to arrest him.
“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” Scott said.
Capitol Police are responsible for Nancy Pelosi’s security and the security of other members of Congress, but lack the resources to protect lawmakers’ families around the clock.
On Saturday, President Joe Biden said in Delaware: “All the malarkey that’s being put out there – you can’t just apologize. It affects people’s mentality. It affects how people think. Particularly, people who are not as stable as other people.”
He was referring to right-wing conspiracies and violence.
“The talk has to stop,” he said. “That’s the problem. That’s the problem. You can’t just say, feel badly about the violence, we condemn it. Condemn what produces the violence. This talk produces the violence.”
Based on his social media and online posts, the suspect embraced falsehoods about the outcome of the 2020 election and political conspiracies.
Police have not described his motivation into breaking into the room and calling out “Where’s Nancy?”
