The stepmother of a man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi said her Powell River relatives haven’t seen or heard from him in more than 20 years.
VANCOUVER – The stepmother of a man accused of attacking the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her Powell River relatives haven’t seen or heard from him in more than 20 years.
Teresa Depape said David Depape was a normal kid growing up in the coastal community. Teresa’s husband, Gene Depape, raised David, their stepson, although he later split with the suspect’s mother, Shirley.
David Depape is accused of breaking into the San Francisco home of Paul and Nancy Pelosi around 2:30 a.m. Friday and attacking Paul with a hammer.
Teresa said she began receiving calls from American reporters Friday morning, though she had no details of what happened or the allegations against David. Finally, she contacted a sheriff in San Francisco to learn more about how her stepson would be processed in the system there.
David kept in touch with some relatives in BC, but never returned to Powell River after moving to California, she said.
As a child, “David was a good kid. He went to school. He came home, turned on the TV like any normal kid,” he said. “We haven’t seen him here in over 20 years.”
But he also said he “didn’t socialize much.”
She made her living making jewelry and was married in San Francisco with children. He also has a twin sister, Teresa Depape said.
Asked if David was into politics, she said: “That’s one of the things I liked about him. He always had an opinion on everything. And I don’t see him socializing with politicians. But now I don’t I know”.
Reports that David had been posting conspiracy theories on Facebook didn’t surprise her, she said, adding that most of her family members share the same theories.
“Who isn’t these days? So I don’t think that’s a valid accusation,” he said. “We’re just hoping that if he’s in trouble he’ll call us. The door is always open for him here.”
The Associated Press said the assailant was looking for the Democratic leader at the time of the attack and horrifyingly yelling, “Where’s Nancy, where’s Nancy?”
Police were called to the home to check on Paul Pelosi who discovered the 82-year-old man and Depape, both wielding a hammer, Police Chief William Scott said. The intruder pulled him off Pelosi and began beating him before being subdued and arrested by officers.
The speaker was in Washington, DC, where she was scheduled to appear with US Vice President Kamala Harris at a fundraiser Saturday night for the LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign, 11 days before the congressional elections that have been full of harsh, sometimes violent. rhetoric Pelosi canceled her appearance.
The screams of the intruder at Pelosi’s California home were a haunting echo of the chants during the January 6, 2021 uprising in the US capital, when rioters trying to stop the election of Joe Biden sought threateningly through the corridors the president.
Police said the motive for Friday’s break-in was still being determined, but three people with knowledge of the investigation told the AP that Depape targeted Pelosi’s home. Those people were not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Police released few details about the suspect or his motives. But the attack raised questions about the safety of members of the US Congress and their families. Threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high nearly two years after the capital’s insurrection. In the current midterm election campaigns, crime and public safety have emerged as top concerns among Americans.
Paul Pelosi was severely beaten, suffering blunt force trauma after receiving several blows to the head. He was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for his injuries, the hospital confirmed. His condition was not immediately available, but Pelosi’s spokesman said he would recover.
Lawmakers from both parties reacted with surprise and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family.
“What happened to Paul Pelosi was a despicable act,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. “I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and sincere wishes to her husband and family, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter: “Horrified and disgusted by reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted at his home and Speaker Pelosi’s home last night. Thankful to hear that Paul is on the road to recovery -se completely and that law enforcement, including our stellar Capitol Police, are on the case.”
In 2021, Capitol Police investigated about 9,600 threats against members of Congress, and several members have been physically assaulted in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, D-Ariz., was critically wounded when a gunman open fire at a 2017 Republican Congressional Baseball Team practice.
Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security in their homes, but some have pushed for more protection as people have shown up at their homes and members have received an increasing number of threatening communications. Nancy Pelosi, who is second in line to President Biden, has a protective detail that was with her in Washington. I had just returned this week from a security conference in Europe.
Often at Nancy Pelosi’s side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely stays on the West Coast. The couple has five grown children and many grandchildren. They have been married for 59 years.
Earlier this year, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California’s wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation conditional
The Pelosi home, in the affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood, has been the scene of several protests in recent years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done in a salon while many were closed during COVID-19, stylists protested outside with curlers. Members of the Chinese community protested outside recently before Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
And during debates over the federal stimulus package, protesters scrawled anarchy signs in black paint on the garage door, along with “cancel the rent” and “we want it all.” They left a pig’s head in the driveway.
Meanwhile, wishes of support and concern poured in.
“We have attended many events with Pelosi over the past two decades and have had many opportunities to talk about our families and the challenges of being part of a political family. Thinking of the Pelosi family today,” tweeted Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Moritz.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden had also been in contact with Nancy Pelosi.
“The president is praying for Paul Pelosi and all of Speaker Pelosi’s family,” Jean-Pierre said. “He called Speaker Pelosi this morning to express his support after this horrific attack. He is also very pleased that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the privacy wishes of the family”.
On Capitol Hill, Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont, the Senate president who is third in line for the presidency, said he had known Paul Pelosi “forever.” He said, “It’s horrible.”
— With files from The Associated Press