David DePape “stripped down to his underwear, grabbed a hammer, and jogged all the way to Nancy Pelosi’s house.”
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No, DePape didn’t strip to his underwear and jog to the Pelosis’ house
If Your Time is short
- David DePape, who is charged in an Oct. 28 attack on Paul Pelosi, was wearing shorts when police officers found him in Pelosi’s San Francisco home, according to a federal criminal complaint filed against him.
- DePape had at least one hammer with him, according to the complaint, but we found no evidence that he had jogged more than 15 miles to the Pelosis’ house carrying it while wearing only his underwear.
A recent Instagram post expresses skepticism about allegations that David DePape broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home on Oct. 28 and attacked her husband, Paul — and also paints an incredible picture.
"So if we’re to believe the media…" the Oct. 31 post says, DePape "stripped down to his underwear, grabbed a hammer and JOGGED all the way to Nancy Pelosi’s house."
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
KTVU-TV, , a San Francisco Fox News affiliate, initially and incorrectly reported that police found DePape in his underwear, leading to an avalanche of misinformation. But that story has been corrected with a note that says an earlier version "misstated what clothing the suspect was wearing when officers found him."
Featured Fact-check
DePape was wearing shorts when San Francisco police officers restrained him, according to a federal criminal complaint filed against DePape.
Paul Pelosi was wearing "a loose-fitting pajama shirt and boxer shorts," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said during an Oct. 31 press conference.
When DePape broke into the Pelosis’ residence, the complaint says, DePape had "zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him." We found no evidence that DePape "jogged" to the Pelosis, as the post claims. The complaint says DePape lived in the garage of a residence in Richmond, California, which is at least a 16-mile journey by foot, including a ferry ride, to the Pacific Heights neighborhood where the Pelosis live.
We rate claims that DePape stripped to his underwear and jogged to the Pelosis with a hammer False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Oct. 31, 2022
Politico, Pelosi's San Francisco home has long-drawn unwanted attention, Oct. 29, 2022
Criminal complaint against David DePape, Oct. 31, 2022
KTVU, Alleged Pelosi intruder has manifesto of conspiracy theories: sources, Oct. 28, 2022
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No, DePape didn’t strip to his underwear and jog to the Pelosis’ house
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