The man accused of attacking the husband of the Speaker of the House with a hammer, Nancy Pelositold police he wanted to take the Democratic legislator hostage and “break his knees” to show other congressmen that “actions have consequences,” officials said Monday.
In a chilling federal complaint, authorities say David DePape, 42, broke in early Friday At the couple’s San Francisco residence carrying nylon ties, duct tape and a rope inside a backpack, he went up to the second floor where Paul Pelosi, 82, slept, and he asked to speak to “Nancy”.
“This house and the president itself have been specifically targeted,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at a press conference to announce the state charges against DePape, including attempted murder.
“This was politically motivated,” said Jenkins, who pleaded with the audience. “look at the words we say and lower the volume of our political rhetoric. ”
Investigators believe DePape did research ahead of time to attack Pelosi, Jenkins said in an interview with the Associated Press.
“This wasn’t something he did in the heat of the moment,” he stressed.
In a statement released Monday evening, Nancy Pelosi said her family is “extremely grateful” for the “thousands of messages of concern, prayers and good wishes”.
After the assault, her husband he underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries. He said he is “constantly making progress in what will be a long recovery process”.
The stark narrative expounded by state and federal prosecutors contrasts with conspiracy and mockery theories propagated by far-right figures and even some senior Republicans less than a week before the mid-term elections. This year it was reported a record number of threats to the safety of legislators and election officials.
During an election event in Arizona on Monday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake elicited laughter joke about security at Pelosi’s house.
In addition to the state charges, DePape was also charged Monday in a federal court of influencing, obstructing or retaliating a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member. He also faces charges of attempted kidnapping of a federal official for his official duties.
The name of a lawyer representing DePape has not been released. The subpoena is scheduled for this Tuesday and prosecutors will demand that he stay imprisoned without bail.
“Where’s Nancy?”
Authorities say DePape used a hammer to break a glass door at the back of the house, went upstairs to the second floor bedroom and ordered a shocked Paul Pelosi to wake up.
When Paul Pelosi told the intruder his wife was not at homeDePape said she would wait, even though she was told she wouldn’t be back for several days. It was then that the striker began to remove the draws to equalize Pelosi, according to the complaint.
After an alert call at 02:27 local time, the officers arrived at the house, which had the door open, and found Paul Pelosi and the defendant, struggling on the threshold and both wield the same hammer.
He was told from the outside to release him and at that moment the attacker hit Pelosi. At that moment the police came in, seized his gun and arrested him.
DePape told police she wanted to speak to the lawmaker and considered her “the leader of the Democratic Party’s pile of lies,” according to the eight-page complaint.
“If he had told DePape the ‘truth’, he would have let her go, and if he had ‘lied’, he would have broken her knees,” according to the complaint.
“By breaking Nancy’s knees, she should have made it to Congress tied to the wheelchairwhich would show other congressmen that the actions have consequences, “DePape told investigators, according to the complaint.
Associated Press and EFE
ap
Source: Clarin
