California authorities unveiled a slew of felony charges against David DePape, the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer last Friday, following the announcement of federal charges.
DePape, 42, will be charged with attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced during a press conference Monday. The charges will be filed in San Francisco Superior Court, per a release.
READ IN FULL: FEDERAL CHARGES LODGED AGAINST ALLEGED PAUL PELOSI ATTACKER
“What is clear based on the evidence that we have thus far is that this house, and the speaker herself, were specifically targets of the defendant,” Jenkins explained. The prosecutor also said the attack appears to be “politically motivated.”
Earlier in the day, prosecutors unveiled federal charges against DePape for the violent assault on Paul Pelosi. DePape was charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official and one count of assault of an immediate family member of a U.S. official.
The first federal charge pertains to his attempted kidnapping of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and can carry up to 30 years in prison. The second charge is for his attack on Paul Pelosi and can entail up to 20 years behind bars. DePape is expected to be arraigned Tuesday.
Jenkins said she will file a motion to detain DePape without bail due to the severe public safety risks he poses.
“One last thing that I want to say today is that as leaders and as citizens, it is incumbent upon us all to watch the words that we say and to turn down the volume of our political rhetoric,” Jenkins added. She also said DePape faces 13 years to life with the charges.
Police responded to the incident around 2:30 a.m. local time last Friday and discovered DePape in the Pelosi house with a hammer and zip ties, according to the federal criminal complaint, which contained an FBI affidavit. DePape told authorities that he entered the house through a glass door, per a criminal complaint.
DePape had been looking for Nancy Pelosi and was keen on breaking her kneecaps. Upon realizing that she was not there, he about restraining Paul Pelosi with the zip ties he brought to the house, but Paul Pelosi managed to slip away and call the police, per the complaint.
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It is not clear who opened the door when police arrived, and there was no security present, according to Jenkins. When police arrived, DePape managed to strike Paul Pelosi on the head with a hammer, though Jenkins was unsure how many times he was hit.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was “admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. His doctors expect a full recovery,” according to a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi.
San Francisco police are assisting with security for the Pelosis, according to San Francisco Chief of Police William Scott.
