Paul Pelosi attacker asked ‘Where is Nancy?’

The man who violently attacked Paul Pelosi at his and Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home early Friday morning was looking for the Speaker, according to a source briefed on the attack.

Before the assault occurred, the man confronted Paul Pelosi, 82, and shouted, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” the source said.

Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was not in San Francisco at the time, according to her spokesman Drew Hammill. U.S. Capitol Police said she was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to a hospital and is expected to make a “full recovery,” according to Hammill.

San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott identified the intruder as David DePape.

He told reporters during a brief news conference on Friday that officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:27 a.m. for an “A priority well-being check.” When authorities arrived on the scene, they observed a 42-year-old male and Paul Pelosi “both holding a hammer.”

“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” Scott said.

At that point, officers “immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him” and took him into custody. They also requested backup and rendered medical aid. Paul Pelosi and the suspect were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Scott said the suspect will be booked at the San Francisco County jail on several charges, including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary. He said there will be “several other additional felonies.”

The new details suggest the attack was not a random crime and that Pelosi’s home was specifically targeted. Scott, however, said the motive for the attack is still being determined, and noted that the situation is “an active investigation.”

It’s the latest in a series of crimes or threats to lawmakers and other political figures that has raised worries across the country.

Threats against lawmakers have been on the rise in recent years. Between Jan. 1 and March 23 of this year, U.S. Capitol Police opened about 1,820 cases involving direct threats and concerning statements or actions.

In 2021, Capitol Police opened 9,625 cases involving direct threats and concerning statements or actions, and the year before that, 8,613. In 2017, that number was 3,939.

In the early morning assault on the Pelosi home, an intruder reportedly attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Sgt. Adam Lobsinger of the San Francisco Police Department in a Twitter post wrote that authorities responded to a break-in at 2:27 a.m.

The Capitol Police in a statement said it is assisting the FBI and San Francisco police in a joint investigation looking into the break-in.

Special agents from Capitol Police’s California field office were sent to the scene, and a team of investigators from the department’s threat assessment section was dispatched to help authorities.

This story was updated at 4:28 p.m.