Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), suffered a violent physical attack in the early hours of Friday morning, Oct. 28. The suspect in the assault, identified by police as 42-year-old David DePape, broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco residence, where he confronted Mr. Pelosi. Both men were taken to the hospital. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, who is 82, was reportedly treated for blunt force injuries to his head and body. DePape faces multiple felony charges.
Paul Pelosi (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Details are still emerging and no motive for the attack has been established. The intruder allegedly demanded, “Where is Nancy?” when he came across the speaker’s husband. San Francisco police arrived at the scene moments later to find DePape and Pelosi struggling for control of a hammer. DePape managed to snatch the hammer from Pelosi and proceeded to strike him before being disarmed by police officers.
Drew Hammill, a Pelosi spokesman, said that Paul Pelosi is “receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery." Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, DC, at the time of the break-in.
The Pelosi property, in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, was the target of vandalism in 2021. A garage was defaced with graffiti demanding “UBI!” – assumed to mean universal basic income. The suspects also left a pig’s head on the sidewalk outside the residence, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
DePape is facing charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary, and “several other additional felonies,” according to San Francisco Police Chief William Scott.
