Paul Pelosi tried to escape to an elevator equipped with a phone inside his San Francisco home to call 911 after a suspect broke into the house and entered his bedroom, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a Monday press conference.
The district attorney announced state charges against David DePape, 42, in connection to the assault against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband that occurred on Friday. Townhouse Elevator
Charges included attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official and their family.
In addition to the state charges, on Monday, the Justice Department announced two felony charges against DePape: one count of assault of an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a US official on account of the performance of official duties.
According to Jenkins, DePape entered the home by breaking the rear glass door and went upstairs to the second floor to find Pelosi sleeping in his bed.
"He woke him up confronting him about the whereabouts of Speaker Pelosi," Jenkins said, adding that Pelosi was wearing a pajama shirt and boxer shorts.
At some point, Pelosi tried to access the elevator inside the home that had a telephone in order to call authorities, the district attorney said, but was blocked by DePape.
Pelosi was able to call the police later on after he asked to go to the bathroom. When DePape realized that Pelosi called the authorities, he took him downstairs near the front entrance of the home.
Officers arrived at the home two minutes after the phone call, according to Jenkins. It's unclear who opened the door, she said.
When the door was opened, the attacker had a hammer in his hand which Pelosi appeared to be trying to grab.
"The defendant then pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently struck him in the top of his head," Jenkins said.
Residential Freight Elevator DePape faces 13 years to life in prison, according to the district attorney. Jenkins also said that her office filed a motion to detain the suspect without bail.