Paul Pelosi, the husband of House speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been released from a San Francisco hospital six days after being attacked by a man wielding a hammer in the couple’s home.
The House speaker said in a statement on Thursday: “Paul remains under doctors’ care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home.”
Pelosi said her husband was grateful to the 911 operator who directed police to the family residence, emergency responders and the entire hospital staff for “their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment”.
“The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world,” she said.
Paul Pelosi underwent successful surgery at Zuckerberg San Francisco general hospital for a fractured skull and other injuries following the attack last Friday, which has been widely condemned as an act of politically motivated violence.
Nancy Pelosi said her husband was at home “surrounded by family”. She was in Washington last Friday when the attacker broke into the family home and she rushed on to a flight later that day to return to California and travel to the hospital.
His release, first reported on Thursday evening by CNN, comes as US authorities said that the alleged attacker, David DePape, was a Canadian citizen who was in the United States illegally 14 years after he entered as a visitor.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency said on Thursday it had issued a “detainer” notice with San Francisco authorities seeking custody of DePape once criminal proceedings against him are completed. DePape has been charged with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, among other crimes.
Under the detainer, lodged with the San Francisco county jail on 1 November, four days after his arrest, DePape would be turned over to Ice for possible deportation to Canada after serving any prison sentence he receives, according to Ice.
DePape, 42, was arrested at the San Francisco home of the speaker of the US House of Representatives after he allegedly forced his way into the residence, demanded to see Nancy Pelosi and then clubbed her husband in the head with a hammer.
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is second in the line of succession to the presidency, was in Washington at the time.
According to court documents filed by prosecutors, DePape told police after his arrest that he had planned to kidnap the speaker, interrogate and break her kneecaps if she “lied”.
The attack left Paul Pelosi, 82, hospitalized and facing a lengthy recovery.
DePape, who has been jailed without bond, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to state charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, elder abuse, false imprisonment and threatening a public official. He could face a maximum sentence of 13 years to life in prison if convicted.
Federal prosecutors have charged DePape separately with assault and attempted kidnapping charges punishable by up to 50 years in prison.
Records show that DePape entered the United States as a temporary visitor in March 2008 at the San Ysidro US-Mexico border crossing in San Diego.
According to immigration officials, admissible Canadian travelers who present themselves as a visitor for business or pleasure generally do not require a visa and are typically admitted for a stay of up to six months in the United States.
