Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was hijacked by David DePape

The California man accused of viciously attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer was prepared to kidnap and break House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s knees when he invaded the couple’s home in San Francisco, federal prosecutors revealed Monday in a new criminal complaint.

David DePape, 42, has been charged with the federal crimes of attempted kidnapping of a federal official, and assaulting a member of the immediate family of a United States official with intent to retaliate against the official.

DePape was already facing state charges of attempted murder and other crimes in the Friday morning attack on 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, who suffered a fractured skull and has been in a rehab unit. intensive on Monday.

The new federal complaint says evidence shows DePape, who had been living in a garage at a Richmond townhouse for nearly two years, “was willing to arrest and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered” the residence. of the Democrat.

Nancy Pelosi, who as speaker of the House is second in the line of presidential succession, was not at home during the incident on Friday.

Authorities said DePape arrived there with ties, tape, rope and at least one hammer, authorities said.

During an interview with San Francisco Police after his arrest, DePape “stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her,” the complaint said.

“If Nancy was going to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if he ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her knees,'” according to the complaint. “DePape was certain that Nancy had not told the “truth”.

“During the course of the interview, DePape said he views Nancy as the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party,” the complaint said.

“DePape also explained later that by breaking Nancy’s knees, it would be brought to Congress, which would show other Members of Congress that there are consequences to actions.”

The complaint said the suspect “also generally explained that he wanted to use Nancy to lure another individual to DePape.” That other person was not identified in the complaint.

The charging document says DePape admitted to breaking into the home through a rear glass door, using the hammer he had brought with him.

Paul “Pelosi was sleeping when DePape came into Pelosi’s room and said he wanted to talk to ‘Nancy,'” the complaint said, noting that the suspect later told police that Pelosi appeared surprised when she showed up and announced,” he was looking for. Nancy.”

“When Pelosi told him that Nancy was not here, DePape said he would sit down and wait,” and DePape reiterated that after Pelosi said the speaker would not be home for several days, the complaint he said.

Soon after, DePape took zip ties to tie Pelosi up so that DePape “could go to sleep because he was tired of having to carry a bag to Pelosi’s residence,” the complaint said.

Pelosi moved to another part of the house, but was stopped by DePape, and together they returned to the bedroom, the complaint said.

“While speaking with the others, Pelosi went into a bathroom, where Pelosi picked up a phone to call 9-1-1,” the complaint said.

“DePape stated that he felt Pelosi’s actions compelled him to respond,” according to the complaint.

“DePape recalled thinking there was no way the police would forget the phone call,” the complaint said.

“DePape explained that he did not leave after Pelosi’s call to 9-1-1 because, much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the option of surrender. DePape reiterated this sentiment elsewhere in the interview.”

DePape told police he and Pelosi then went to the front door.

“The police came and knocked on the door, and Pelosi ran and opened it,” the complaint said.

“Pelosi grabbed DePape’s gavel, which was in DePape’s hand. At this point in the interview, DePape repeated that DePape did not plan to surrender and that he was going through ‘Pelosi.’

“Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked him what was going on. DePape replied that everything was good,” the federal complaint said. “Officials asked Pelosi and DePaper to drop the gavel.”

When the officers ordered the men to drop the hammer, DePape gained control, and struck Pelosi in the head, knocking him out, authorities said.

DePape later told police that Pelosi’s actions resulted in Pelosi “taking the punishment instead” of Nancy Pelosi.

Police found a roll of tape, a white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and canvas gloves, and ties from the crime scene, the Justice Department noted in a news release Monday. Some of those zip ties were in Paul Pelosi’s bedroom.

A later search of the garage where DePape was staying turned up two hammers, a sword and a pair of rubber and canvas gloves, along with documents that included DMV documents and IRS letters.

Pelosi remained in the intensive care unit at a San Francisco hospital, surrounded by family members, on Monday morning, sources told NBC.

Law enforcement officials including FBI agents on Sunday obtained Pelosi’s account of the home invasion, a source with knowledge of the investigation told NBC.

Pelosi told police she was asleep when DePape, whom she did not know, entered her bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi, authorities said.

Pelosi had full cognitive function and appeared to remember everything about the incident, the source said.