The man who struck Nancy Pelosi's husband in the head with a hammer while shouting "Where is Nancy?" after breaking into their San Francisco home was charged with attempted murder and other offenses the following day.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was assaulted on Friday. According to his wife's office, he underwent surgery for a skull fracture and damage to his hands and right arm, but doctors anticipate a full recovery.

Saturday, while addressing to media in Delaware, President Joe Biden stated that the incident appears to have been "directed for Nancy."

The event fueled worries of political violence less than two weeks before the midterm elections on November 8 that will determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, occurring in the most acrimonious and divisive political climate in decades.

At the time of the assault, the 82-year-old Democratic House speaker, who is second in the constitutional line of succession to the U.S. presidency, was in Washington.

She rushed to San Francisco hours after the attack to be with her husband and issued a statement on Saturday expressing her shock that "a violent man stormed into our family home, demanding to confront me, and viciously attacked my husband Paul."

"Our children, grandkids, and I are horrified and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our grandfather," she told her congressional colleagues in a brief statement.

She said, "Please know that the outpouring of prayers and kind wishes from so many members of Congress is a comfort to our family and is aiding Paul's recovery." His condition is steadily improving.

Paul Pelosi Jr., the couple's son, was spotted earlier in the day outside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where his real estate and venture capital executive father was being treated. When asked by a reporter about his father's condition, he responded, "So far, so good."

David DePape, age 42, was recognized as the individual apprehended at the site by the police. He was also transferred to a hospital in San Francisco, but it was unclear whether he was there for medical or psychiatric care or both.

Online sheriff's records revealed that he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, violence, burglary, threatening a public official or family member, and further offenses. According to the San Francisco district attorney's office, formal charges will be filed on Monday and his arraignment is likely on Tuesday.

"We know this was not a random incident," said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott during a Friday evening news briefing. Police detectives, assisted by FBI agents, had yet to identify what prompted the home invasion.

According to a person briefed on the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Reuters, the intruder yelled "Where is Nancy?" before assaulting.

From Hemp to Hate?

In the pursuit of motivation, the suspect's purported online persona was scrutinized.

Internet user "daviddepape" professed support for former President Donald Trump and adopted the cult-like conspiracy theory QAnon in recent remarks on multiple websites. The posts contained references to "satanic pedophilia," anti-Semitic stereotypes, and criticisms of women, and transgender individuals, as well as tech company censorship.

Earlier communications advocated hemp and quartz crystal bracelets. Reuters was unable to establish if the posts were made by the man who was arrested on Friday.

According to experts on extremism, the act may be an example of a growing tendency they call "stochastic terrorism," in which occasionally unstable individuals are spurred to violence by online hate speech and scenarios they hear famous personalities echo.

"Clearly, this was a targeted strike. The objective was to locate and potentially harm the House speaker "John Cohen, a former head of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security who is collaborating with U.S. law enforcement agencies on this matter, stated the following.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a photo of a man identified as DePape dancing at the wedding of two nudist campaigners in San Francisco in 2013, although he was clothed. The newspaper said that DePape, then a hemp jewelry maker and left-leaning Green Party member, lived with the couple in Berkeley and served as their best man. It stated he was raised in Canada.

Scott stated that the burglar entered the three-story townhouse of the Pelosis family through the rear door. Aerial photographs revealed broken glass at the rear of the home in the upscale Pacific Heights section of the city.

Wellbeing Check

The police were summoned for a welfare check after receiving a cryptic emergency 911 call from the residence, according to the chief. Other news outlets indicated that Paul Pelosi initiated the call.

Scott complimented the 911 operator on recognizing that "there was more to this incident than what she was being told" and dispatching the call with a higher priority than usual as a result. Scott described her choice as "lifesaving."

According to Scott, police officers who arrived at the front door witnessed DePape and Pelosi grappling with a hammer. As the cops yelled at both men to drop the tool, DePape was observed striking Pelosi at least once, according to the chief. Scott stated that the cops then tackled, disarmed, and arrested DePape.

The incident occurred one day after the New York City police issued a warning that radicals could target politicians, political events, and voting places in advance of the upcoming elections.

The U.S. Capitol Police, which reported nearly three times as many threats against politicians of both parties in 2021 compared to 2017, asked congressional offices in a memo on Saturday to take additional security steps in light of the increased dangers they face.

As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longstanding congressman from one of the most liberal cities in the United States, Nancy Pelosi is frequently criticized by Republicans.

Her office was looted during the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, by a crowd of Trump supporters, some of whom were searching for her during the attack.