Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack, David DePape, charged with attempted murder and assault
Fox News chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt provides details on the assault against Paul Pelosi on "Special Report with Bret Baier."
David DePape, the suspect accused of violently attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was on a "suicide mission" when he allegedly carried out the attack, according to court documents.
Court documents filed on Tuesday state that DePape, 42, plotted to target other federal and California elected officials.
DePape faces multiple felony charges after he allegedly broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco on Oct. 28 and beat Paul Pelosi with a hammer, resulting in injuries that forced the House speaker's husband to undergo surgery to repair a skull fracture in addition to other injuries.
In the court filing, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins wrote that DePape's intent with the attack "could not have been clearer."
David Depape is shown in Berkeley, California, on Dec. 13, 2013. (Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
"He forced his way into the Pelosi home intending to take the person third in line to the presidency of the United States hostage and to seriously harm her. Thwarted by Speaker Pelosi’s absence, Defendant continued on his quest and would not be stopped, culminating on the near fatal attack on Mr. Pelosi," Jenkins wrote in the filing.
DePape, according to the filing, told police officers that he was sick of the "lies coming out of Washington D.C."
"I didn’t really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission. I’m not going to stand here and do nothing even if it cost me my life," the filing said.
Jenkins wrote in the filing that "This case demands detention" and "nothing less."
NANCY PELOSI HUSBAND ATTACK SUSPECT DAVID DEPAPE ARRAIGNED IN SAN FRANCISCO COURT
The San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi is seen after police say David DePape violently assaulted Paul Pelosi early Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (KGO-TV)
A criminal complaint filed by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office states that DePape has been "convicted of other crimes."
According to a federal affidavit filed on Monday, DePape told police that he intended to hold Speaker Pelosi hostage and interrogate 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,’" the affidavit states.
"DePape also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other members of Congress that there were consequences to actions," according to the court document.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was severely beaten by an attacker who broke into their San Francisco home in the early morning of Friday, October 28th, 2022. Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to the hospital and is being treated by doctors for injuries after he was beaten with a hammer (Fox News)
DePape pleaded not guilty to state-level charges, which include attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse, among others.
He is accused of breaking into the Pelosi's residence through the rear of the house and entered the bedroom where Paul Pelosi was sleeping, according to Jenkins.
David DePape, right, records the nude wedding of Gypsy Taub outside City Hall on Dec. 19, 2013, in San Francisco. DePape is accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer. DePape was known in Berkeley, Calif., as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against local ordinances requiring people to be clothed in public. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Paul Pelosi attempted to dial 911 in the residence's in-home elevator, but was blocked from doing so by DePape, according to Jenkins, adding that Paul Pelosi was able to escape to a bathroom within the house and dial 911.
When police officers arrived at the residence, they saw both Paul Pelosi and DePape struggling over a hammer, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said. When given an order to drop the hammer, DePape began attacking Paul Pelosi, Scott said.
The suspect allegedly demanded to talk to "Nancy" during the attack, referring to the House Speaker, according to an affidavit.
NANCY PELOSI HUSBAND ATTACK: SAN FRANCISCO DA ANNOUNCES CHARGES AGAINST SUSPECT DAVID DEPAPE
Paul Pelosi Jr. speaks to FBI investigators outside the home of his parents Nancy and Paul Pelosi, Friday October 28, 2022. His father, Paul was the victim of a violent home invasion earlier this morning. (Flightrisk for Fox News Digital)
Judge Diane Northway said in a Tuesday court hearing that a police report filed in relation to the incident states that "The assault occurred in the presence of two uniformed police officers."
Adam Lipson, the San Francisco Deputy Public Defender representing DePape said in a statement that "Mr. DePape is entitled to a vigorous legal defense, and we intend to give him one."
An Immigrations and Customers Enforcement source told Fox News that DePape has been in the U.S. illegally after overstaying his visa by a "long time."
In the area of DePape's former residence, which was inside a Richmond, California, garage, neighbors described the suspect as being quiet and isolated. One neighbor said that he wasn't surprised about DePape's alleged actions.
"I also was, a little bit, saying, ‘Oh no’ to myself, because I more or less knew this would happen," Jin Molnar said. "He didn't do anything violent or reckless, but that would be the perfect cover for buying his time until he had the chance to do something."
"He was an odd guy," Molnar said, adding that DePape was "gravitating towards the new right talking points."
PAUL PELOSI ATTACKER TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE PLANNED TO BREAK HOUSE SPEAKER'S ‘KNEECAPS’: AFFIDAVIT
An LGBTQ flag with marijuana leaves was seen outside of Taub's home, where DePape previously lived, along with a heavily worn down van which displays a "natural addiction treatment" poster. A sign reading "Berkeley stands united against hate" can also be seen displayed on a window. (Flightrisk for Fox News Digital and Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle)
A court document states that officers found "two hammers, a sword, and a pair of rubber and cloth gloves" when executing a search warrant on DePape's garage residence.
DePape previously lived with his former partner, nudist activist Gypsy Taub, who he raised two sons and daughter with in a Berkeley home, according to ABC7.
Taub told ABC7 in a phone interview that she is DePape's "ex-life partner," and described him as "mentally ill."
"He is mentally ill. He has been mentally ill for a long time," Taub said, stating that she met DePape around 20 years ago.
Taub is currently in prison after being found guilty in the abduction of a 14-year-old boy which took place around a Berkeley high school.
General views of the home in Oakland which is believed to be have been the one-time residence of David DePape, Friday, October 28, 2022. DePape is alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi in a home invasion earlier this morning. (Flightrisk for Fox News Digtal)
Taub said that DePape once left home for a year only to return "in very bad shape."
"He came back in very bad shape. He thought he was Jesus. He was constantly paranoid, thinking people were after him," Taub said. "And it took a good year or two to get back to, you know, being halfway normal."
She said that DePape had very similar politics to her, which are "very progressive."
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"Well when I met him, he was only 20 years old, and he didn't have any experience in politics, and he was very much in alignment with my views, and I've always been very progressive. I absolutely admire Nancy Pelosi," Taub said.
FBI agents went to the Berkeley home on Friday, and a young man said that DePape hasn't been at the residence in years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story.
