According to family members, the man accused of breaking into US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco and hitting her husband with a hammer is David DePape.
A man named David DePape is a suspect accused of trying to kill Paul Pelosi
David DePape, the 42-year-old suspect accused of trying to kill Paul Pelosi, was born and raised in Powell River, British Columbia, but went to California around 20 years ago to pursue a romantic relationship, according to his stepfather Gene DePape.
According to interviews with Gene DePape, his stepfather, and Mark DePape, his uncle, he has grown alienated from his family. But David DePape was highlighted in news stories in the San Francisco Chronicle because he lived in Berkeley with Oxane “Gypsy” Taub, a well-known nudist activist, her three children, and her fiance, Jaymz Smith, in a three-bedroom Victorian apartment.
David allegedly recently maintained a Facebook account with multiple posts full of theories
Smith and Taub had asked DePape, described as a hemp jewelry artist, to be the best man in a wedding they intended to hold on the steps of San Francisco’s city hall. Taub was convicted of several crimes last year, including attempted kidnapping and stalking.
DePape claimed that in addition to opposing the successful move to criminalize public nudity in San Francisco, he also took to the streets with protestors. DePape’s support for the Green Party was noted in voting records years ago. David allegedly recently maintained a Facebook account with multiple posts full of theories, according to Gene and Mark DePape.
The account, which was banned by Facebook’s owner Meta on Friday, had links to videos produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell that falsely claimed that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden would defeat Republican President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Additionally, he is said to have maintained a blog under the name godisloving.wordpress.com, which was also taken down on Friday and where he frequently posted rants about the “ruling class.”
Pelosi contacted 911 on his phone and asked for police to come to check on him
DePape, who is accused of breaking into the home of 82-year-old Pelosi’s on Friday, allegedly performed a targeted act, according to San Francisco police. He is accused of using a hammer to strike Paul Pelosi while asking, “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”
The speaker, who typically travels with a security detail, wasn’t at home at the time; instead, she was in Washington, DC. Pelosi contacted 911 on his phone, which was charging there, and asked for police to come to check on him after telling the burglar that he had to use the lavatory, according to Politico.
When the police arrived at the Pelosis’ house at around 2:30 am on Friday, they observed Paul Pelosi and DePape both clutching at a hammer. DePape was promptly detained by police after it was discovered that he had intended to restrain Paul Pelosi until he got home.