Paul Pelosi’s accused attacker ordered held without bail

SAN FRANCISCO — David Wayne DePape, the man accused of beating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, after breaking into the couple’s San Francisco home last week, was ordered held without bail Tuesday during a brief Superior Court hearing.

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Adam Lipson, a public defender representing DePape, entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf during the hearing, the first public appearance for DePape, whom The Associated Press characterized as a fringe activist drawn to conspiracy theories, since the early Friday attack.

DePape, 42, faces federal charges of assault on the immediate family member of a federal official and attempted kidnapping of a federal official. In an affidavit made public Monday, officials said DePape told Paul Pelosi that he was looking for Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and that he intended to wait until she returned to the house.

DePape also faces state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse.

Paul Pelosi told investigators that he was asleep when DePape broke into the Pelosi family’s home on Friday and walked into his bedroom. He said he was able to go into the bathroom and call 911. He told officials that he had never seen DePape before.

According to the AP, threats against lawmakers and election officials have been at all-time highs in this first nationwide election since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, and authorities have issued warning about rising extremism in the U.S.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Monday had said prosecutors want to keep DePape behind bars because he poses “obvious and severe public safety risks.”

Lipson, who has served as a public defender for 20 years, told reporters gathered after the hearing that he looks forward to finding an “equitable and just resolution of this matter.”

“I will say, there’s also been a lot of speculation about Mr. DePape’s vulnerability to misinformation, and that’s certainly something that we’re going to delve into as his defense team,” Lipson said.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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