A man accused of violently attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse, among other charges, after breaking into the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning.
Police who responded to a welfare check at the Pelosi home said they witnessed 42-year-old David DePape violently striking Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer.
"Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid," San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott told reporters in an afternoon update.
While few official details have been released on DePape's background, social media accounts linked to him suggest he followed conspiracy theories.
Before the assault occurred, the man allegedly confronted Paul Pelosi and shouted, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” according to a source briefed on the attack.
CNN first reported that the Speaker, who was in Washington, D.C., during the attack, was able to speak to her husband before he went into surgery and that she and their adult children would be traveling to San Francisco to be by his side.
Her spokesman Drew Hammill said Paul Pelosi is receiving “excellent medical care" and is expected to fully recover.
CNN reported that police responded to the home because Paul Pelosi managed to surreptitiously call 911, while trying to keep the assailant calm until police could arrive.
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