‘Break her kneecaps’: Unspeakably sick plan
SAN FRANCISCO: The man who allegedly broke into the Californian home of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told police he was plotting to hold her hostage and “break her kneecaps”.
David DePape, 42, has been charged with attempting to kidnap Ms Pelosi – who is second in the line of succession to the presidency – and assaulting her 82-year-old husband Paul with a hammer.
The top Democrat was not at her San Francisco house when he allegedly broke in.
In an interview with local police, Mr DePape said he planned to hold her hostage and only let her go if she told the “truth”, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI.
Mr DePape told police he was going to “break her kneecaps” if she “lied” to him, saying he viewed her as “the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party”.
FBI special agent Stephanie Minor said in her affidavit: “DePape was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth’. He also said that 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.”
Mr DePape was allegedly carrying zip ties, a roll of tape, rope, rubber and cloth gloves, and two hammers when he was arrested.
Mr Pelosi remains in hospital in San Francisco, with his son Paul Pelosi Jr saying doctors were “rebuilding him slowly” after he suffered a fractured skull.
According to the affidavit, Mr DePape told police officers who rushed to the Pelosi house that “everything was good”, before he ignored their requests to drop the hammer he was holding and instead hit Mr Pelosi in the head.
Moments earlier, Mr DePape had smashed through a glass door on the back porch and entered Mr Pelosi’s bedroom while he was sleeping, waking him up to say he wanted to “talk to Nancy”.
Upon realising that Ms Pelosi was not home, Mr DePape said he wanted to tie up her husband so he could “go to sleep as he was tired from having had to carry a backpack around the Pelosi residence”.
But Mr Pelosi managed to avoid being restrained and grabbed a phone to call 911.
“DePape explained that he did not leave after Pelosi’s call to 911 because, he said, much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny,” Ms Minor said.
Two other hammers and a sword were later seized at Mr DePape’s home.
Ms Pelosi said her family was “heartbroken and traumatised” by the attack.