Man charged in Pelosi home attack allegedly told police he wanted to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage

The man accused of attacking U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer told police he wanted to hold the Democratic leader hostage and "break her kneecaps" to show other members of Congress there were "consequences to actions," authorities said Monday.

In a chilling federal complaint, officials say that David DePape, 42, carrying zip ties and tape in a backpack, broke into the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning, went upstairs where 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was sleeping and demanded to talk to "Nancy."

When Paul Pelosi told the intruder she was not there, DePape, who was born in Canada, said he would wait — even after being told she would not be home for some days. 

Both the San Francisco district attorney and police chief strongly rejected mocking jokes and conspiracy theories about the attack sent out by far-right figures and even some leading Republicans just a week before hard-fought congressional elections.

DePape told police of his plans to hold Speaker Pelosi hostage to "talk to her" and viewed her "as the "leader of the pack" of lies told by the Democratic Party, the eight-page complaint says.

"If she were to tell DePape the 'truth,' he would let her go and if she 'lied,' he was going to break 'her kneecaps,'" the complaint alleges.

"By breaking Nancy's kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other members of Congress there were consequences to actions," it says.

DePape is charged federally with influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member. He also faces one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties.

The announcement of the federal charges came hours before San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced several separate state charges against DePape, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, elder abuse and threatening a public official.

"This house and the speaker herself were specifically targets," Jenkins said at a Monday evening news conference.

"This was politically motivated," Jenkins said. She implored the public to "watch the words that we say and to turn down the volume of our political rhetoric."

No attorney has been listed for DePape. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on the state charges, and prosecutors will ask for him to be held in jail without bail.

DePape is a Canadian citizen who legally entered the United States in 2000 but has stayed long after his visa expired, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Family described DePape as estranged, and he was known by some in San Francisco as a pro-nudity activist who appeared to embrace a range of conspiracy theories.