Report: Police sources says Paul Pelosi attack suspect had zip ties, duct tape
SAN FRANCISCO -- According to a report, law enforcement sources say the suspect who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer at the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning had zip ties and duct tape.
A story published by CNN Sunday morning said suspect David DePape had a bag containing multiple zip ties among other things, according to two sources who have been briefed on the incident.
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The suspect also had duct tape in addition to the zip ties, according to a law enforcement source.
David DePape, 42, broke into the Pelosi home at around 2:27 a.m., according to authorities. He was found struggling with Paul Pelosi over a hammer when San Francisco police officers arrived and struck Pelosi with it before officers could subdue him.
A source briefed on the attack told CBS News DePape was in search of the Speaker of the House. Before the assault occurred, the intruder confronted Mr. Pelosi shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?"
Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the attack. Police wouldn't comment on a motive, but said this was "not a random act," and that it was targeted.
Later Friday, Paul Pelosi "underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands" from the attack, according to a statement from the speaker's office.
San Francisco police said DePape faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies in relation to the Friday morning attack. According to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, charges against DePape are scheduled to be filed Monday, with his arraignment expected on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Speaker Pelosi released her first statement on the incident since it happened in a letter to her fellow members of Congress, writing that her husband is recovering after the violent attack.
The House speaker wrote that 82-year-old Paul Pelosi's "condition continues to improve."
"Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop," she wrote. "We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving."
The San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Paul Pelosi likely saved his life by calling 911 during the incident.
"It is really thanks to Mr. Pelosi having the ability to make that call, and truly the attention and the instincts of that dispatcher to realize that something was wrong in that situation and to make the police call a priority so they got there within two minutes to respond to this situation," Jenkins told CNN's Erin Burnett on Friday.
San Francisco police chief Bill Scott also commended the dispatcher for her quick action when taking the 911 call that led to the rapid arrival of SFPD police units.
"She had to interpret what she was being told, and based on her experience and intuition, she basically figured out there was something more to this situation than what she was being told," said Scott. "Her actions, in my opinion, resulted in both a higher-priority dispatch and a faster police response."
"I think this was life-saving," Scott added.
