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The FBI has widened the investigation into an attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.
According to reports on Saturday, agents have visited a home that neighbors refer to as a “hippie collective” in Berkeley, Calif.
“FBI visits Berkeley home tied to Pelosi beating suspect,” NBC Bay Area investigative reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken noted on Twitter Friday in a post that included a photo of the home. “The Victorian is dubbed a ‘hippie collective’ by neighbors.”
FBI visits Berkeley home tied to Pelosi beating suspect. The Victorian is dubbed a “hippie collective” by neighbors pic.twitter.com/jOhbVTvElx
— Jaxon Van Derbeken (@jvanderbeken) October 28, 2022
A sign in one of the windows says, “Berkeley Stands United Against Hate,” while another looks to be a handwritten “Black Lives Matter” sign. Across from the home, there appears to be an LGBTQ banner adorned with marijuana leaves resembling an American flag.
On Friday, the U.S. Capitol Police noted in a press release that the agency, in conjunction with the San Francisco police and the FBI, has begun a joint investigation into the break-in and assault at the Pelosi’s San Fran home.
“The Speaker was in Washington, D.C. with her protective detail at the time of the overnight, break-in,” the press release continued. “During the California break-in, the Speaker’s husband was assaulted, but he is now recovering.”
Pelosi, 82, was struck in the head with a hammer by the intruder, who was identified as 42-year-old David DePape, and underwent surgery Friday for a fractured skull. According to a press release from the Speaker’s office, her husband is expected to recover fully.
“The San Francisco Police Department has the suspect in custody. The motivation for the attack is still under investigation,” the USCP added in its statement. “Special Agents with the USCP’s California Field Office quickly arrived on scene, while a team of investigators from the Department’s Threat Assessment Section was simultaneously dispatched from the East Coast to assist the FBI and the San Francisco Police with a joint investigation.”
NBC reported that a man at the Berkeley home told the FBI that DePape had not lived there for a decade. The man also declined to speak further with the agents.
In a press conference later Friday, Chief Bill Scott said officers were dispatched to the home around 2:27 a.m. and, upon arrival, found DePape struggling with Paul Pelosi over a hammer.
“Officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” he noted, adding that his officers tackled the suspect immediately and disarmed him.
Both Pelosi and DePape were taken to area hospitals for treatment, reports noted further.
The Western Journal added:
The motive behind the attack is “still being determined,” Scott said, adding that San Francisco police were leading the investigation in conjunction with the FBI, the U.S. attorney’s office, the U.S. Capitol Police and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who was with him at the briefing.
The police chief said DePape would be booked on charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary “and several other additional felonies.”
“Earlier this morning, Paul Pelosi was attacked at home by an assailant who acted with force and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker,” Hammill said following the attack. “Mr. Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. His doctors expect a full recovery.”
“The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents, and people around the country. The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr. Pelosi’s entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault. The family appreciates respect for their privacy during this time,” Hammill added.
The White House said President Joe Biden “is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family” following the “horrible attack.” Biden went on to blame Republicans for the attack.
After calling the attack “despicable,” he said there is “no place in America” for it.
“There’s too much violence, political violence, too much hatred, too much vitriol,” Biden said. “And what makes us think that one party can talk about stolen elections, COVID being a hoax, that it’s all a bunch of lies, and it not affect people who may not be so well balanced.
“What makes us think that it’s not going to corrode the political climate?” he added. “Enough is enough is enough. Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against violence in our politics, no matter what your politics are.”
