Paul Pelosi released from hospital after 6 days; Stanford doctor says recovery is 'remarkable'
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, has been released from the hospital after being seriously injured during a targeted break-in at their San Francisco home last Friday.
On Thursday night, all was quiet at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home hours after a white van backed into the family's garage. A short time later, it was confirmed that Paul Pelosi was home recovering. His arrival there comes six days after last Friday's early morning hammer attack in his home.
"I'm really glad he got better cause he's an older guy and an injury like that could have been fatal and glad he survived," said Celia who lives nearby.
The reaction from those who live in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco was heartfelt.
"I am grateful that he's got to go home. I know he's had some very serious injuries," said Dallas Sacher who lives down the street.
"I'm just happy for them. At his age, just to kind of make out of that incident and get back home -- that's a huge blessing in itself," said neighbor Sabina Saksena.
Paul Pelosi was treated for a skull fracture. Stanford Health trauma and critical care surgeon Dr. David Spain doesn't know the specifics to Paul Pelosi's injury, but has read that he was knocked unconscious and laying in a pool of blood when medics arrived.
"If I hear that story with someone coming into the ER, my first thought is that's going to be a long road to recovery," Spain said.
Spain says some patients with brain injuries can be hospitalized for weeks.
"The fact that he was well enough to go home in six days is really pretty remarkable," Spain said.
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Speaker Pelosi released the following statement about her husband's release from the hospital and his continued recovery.
"The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world. Paul is grateful to the 911 operator, emergency responders, trauma care team, ICU staff, and the entire ZSFGH medical staff for their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment he received after the violent assault in our home. Paul remains under doctors' care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy."
Neighbors we spoke with are still upset that someone was able to get inside.
"There was a lapse in security, and I am just stumped by that. Somebody of her stature and somebody who has been in the public limelight and during the elections, how come his house was not guarded?" Saksena said.
"I'm disappointed to hear that this wasn't more fortified," Celia said.
Police arrived at Pelosi's home around 2:30 a.m. last Friday, where they found the susepct, 42-year-old David DePape and Pelosi fighting over a hammer. Officers witnessed DePape take the hammer from Pelosi and attack him with it. Officers tackled DePape and disarmed him before calling for backup.
San Francisco police say the attack was targeted, as Depepe allegedly entered through a sliding glass door and was looking for Nancy Pelosi herself, shouting "Where's Nancy?"
On Tuesday, DePape pled not guilty on Tuesday to all six felony charges filed against him.
A court filing released Tuesday night reveals chilling new details about what prosecutors allege 42-year-old suspect David DePape was planning after the attack. According to the filing, DePape was on a "suicide mission" and planned to target other state and federal politicians, their families, and a local professor.
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The filing also indicated after Paul Pelosi was hit with the hammer he laid unconscious on the floor for three minutes before waking up in a pool of his own blood.
The suspect allegedly told police: "I didn't really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission. I'm not going to stand here and do nothing, even if it costs me my life."
The document went on to quote DePape saying, "I'm sick of the insane level of lies coming out of Washington, D.C. I came here to have a little chat with his wife."
DePape was assigned 20-year veteran Deputy Public Defender Adam Lipson as his counsel. Cameras were not allowed inside, but courtroom sketches show DePape walked in with a sling on his right shoulder. His attorney says he dislocated his shoulder during the arrest.
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Lipson spoke briefly with reporters after the arraignment, calling out the "speculations" and "rumors" circulating about this case - adding he believes DePape is vulnerable to misinformation. He made it clear he would be thoroughly looking into DePape's mental state.
"What I will say is that there's been a lot of speculation regarding Mr. DePape's vulnerability to misinformation," Lipson said. "That's certainly something we're going to delve into as his defense team."
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told ABC7's Stephanie Sierra there should be no assumptions of mental issues at this time.
"What his defense will be - we don't know - that's something we will have to see play out in this case," said Jenkins. "And what access he had to social media is something that would still be a part of the investigation."
Legal analyst Steven Clark commented on the amount of new, detailed information released within the 'Motion to Detain' including the moments Paul Pelosi called 911. Pelosi documented as saying several times that "he didn't know the man." The suspect was heard in the background saying "he was friends of theirs," to which Pelosi again clarified that he didn't know the man.
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"What his defense will be we don't know that's something we will have to see play out in this case," said Jenkins. "And what access he had to social media is something that would still be a part of the investigation."
Hon. Diane Northway, a visiting judge presiding over the case, granted a protective order for both Speaker Pelosi and her husband that requires DePape to have no contact with them and stay more than 160 yards away from the block of their home. The Speaker mentioned in a statement released Monday, Paul (82) is making steady progress in what will be a long recovery.
DePape will remain detained without bail at the San Francisco County jail. A date will be set for his preliminary hearing Friday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m.
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