Police: Man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's house wanted to hold her hostage

DePape is charged federally with influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi (Kevin Wolf/AP)

The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told police he wanted to hold the House Speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps”, authorities said on Monday.

David DePape, 42, confronted a sleeping Paul Pelosi in the couple’s San Francisco bedroom early on Friday morning, according to a federal affidavit filed in court on Monday.