In October 2022, Nancy Pelosi, the ex-Speaker of the House from California, was in the nation’s capital when she learned distressing information concerning her husband, Paul Pelosi. During the late hours, an assailant wielding a hammer targeted Mr. Pelosi. Subsequently, law enforcement apprehended an individual in connection with the incident, and a jury has recently delivered a verdict on the case.
On November 17, a federal jury found 43-year-old David DePape guilty of charges related to attempted kidnapping and assault. The accused unlawfully entered the Pelosi residence in San Francisco on October 28, 2022, awakening Mr. Pelosi. At that moment, the husband of the congresswoman observed the defendant positioned approximately four feet away, equipped with restraints and a hammer. Mr. Pelosi recounted that the assailant conveyed intentions of hurting him.
Managing to reach the bathroom, Mr. Pelosi dialed 911, employing coded language to convey the presence of an intruder in his residence. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the suspect was instructed to relinquish the hammer. Regrettably, he seized the moment to assault Pelosi, striking him thrice in the head and causing a skull fracture. The officers then subdued the assailant and placed him under detention.
Throughout the trial, DePape asserted that he inhabited an alternate reality influenced by conspiracy theories, impacting his discernment. His legal representatives contended that he held the belief that Nancy Pelosi was involved in a clandestine group aiming to undermine America.
During his testimony, it was reported that he reiterated various conspiracy theories, hindering any possibility of the prosecution offering him a plea deal. DePape also alleged that the congresswoman unjustly singled out former President Donald Trump.
DePape could potentially receive a maximum prison term of 30 years for the assault charge and 20 years for the kidnapping offense. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley has scheduled his sentencing for December 13. Ismail Ramsey, the US attorney for the Northern District of California, emphasized that the verdict underscores the principle that regardless of one’s beliefs, physical attacks against a member of Congress or their immediate family for their job performance are unacceptable.
It’s worth noting that the defendant is also confronting an attempted murder charge in California.
