[See update at bottom of post.]
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, was violently attacked this morning after an intruder broke into the couple's San Francisco home. Ms. Pelosi was in Washington D.C. during the attack.
"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi," said spokesperson Drew Hammill, according to the New York Times. "The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation."
Mr. Pelosi is "being treated for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries after being severely beaten in the head and body, according to Reuters, which, along with CNN, reports the intruder used a hammer to attack Pelosi. Fortunately, Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery.
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From the New York Times:
The San Francisco Police Department responded to a report of a home break-in at about 2:27 a.m. on Friday, a spokesman for the department, Officer Robert Rueca, said in a statement. "During this incident an 82-year-old male victim was attacked, and the suspect was taken into custody," he said.
The Pelosis have owned a three-floor red brick townhouse in San Francisco's exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood since 1987. In January 2021, after Congress passed a stimulus bill, their home was vandalized with graffiti, and a pig's head was left on the sidewalk. The vandalism occurred before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In the months since that attack, members of Congress from both parties have experienced a surge in threats and confrontations, including stalking, armed visits to their homes and assaults. The motive for the attack on Mr. Pelosi was not clear on Friday morning, and there was no immediate indication that the attack was politically motivated.
UPDATE 10:50am, via CBS NEWS: Before the violent attack, the suspect — 42-year-old David Wayne Depape from Berkeley — shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" The San Francisco Police Department says he will be charged with "attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several additional felonies," according to CBS.
From CBS:
San Francisco Police responded and were at the scene at 2:27 a.m. PT. Hammill also said Paul Pelosi, 82, is in the hospital and expected to make a full recovery. The Associated Press, citing two people with knowledge of the investigation, reported that Pelosi "suffered blunt force injuries in the attack." Two sources tell CBS News a hammer was used by the assailant to break into the speaker's home. …
A senior congressional source familiar with the matter tells CBS News U.S. Capitol Police is considering additional protection for families of congressional leadership in response to the attack on Paul Pelosi. Congressional leaders travel with multiple officers from the Capitol Police's dignitary protection department, but their spouses and children do not, which is why there was no protection present when the assailant broke into the Pelosi residence Friday morning. …
The top House Democrat will no longer attend an annual dinner Saturday for the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C., the organization confirmed. She was supposed to be a featured speaker.
