Pelosi break-in caught on security camera, sources say
The break-in at the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, was captured by security cameras outside the house that were installed by the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and that send live video feeds to its command center in Washington, D.C. But Capitol Police only learned of the break-in after an officer in the command center saw a police cruiser in the couple's driveway and alerted superiors, Capitol Police confirmed.
U.S. Capitol Police confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that it has access to roughly 1,800 cameras that provide the department with the capability to collect valuable forensic evidence at all times while also allowing command center personnel to monitor select video feeds. The cameras monitor the Capitol complex and other high-interest locations around the country.
According to one of the sources, the department doesn't have the resources to dedicate one person to monitor each camera. Officers must scan multiple cameras. In this instance, the source said, the cameras around her house were not monitored because Nancy Pelosi was not at home, and she was not in California at the time of the attack on her husband.
U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that the cameras at the Pelosi home "were not actively monitored as they are when the Speaker is at the residence" on the night of the break-in.
The source said the department's responsibility is confined to ensuring the House speaker is safe. At the time of the break-in, she was with her security detail in Washington, D.C. There is a significant security detail that follows her wherever she goes.
No security alarm went off during the break-in, CBS News learned, even after the suspect broke the glass of a rear door to the house. U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that "personnel noticed the police activity on the screen and used the feeds to monitor the response and assist investigators."
The revelation about the security cameras was first reported by The Washington Post.
Earlier Wednesday, Capitol Police pointed to a statement Tuesday by USCP Chief Thomas Manger that emphasized the department is already engaged in a security review after the incident and will be working with Congress to make necessary changes.
As part of the security review, one source said the Capitol Police is considering additional protection for families of congressional leadership in response to the attack on Paul Pelosi. There will be immediate security enhancements at the homes of top leadership.
During the break-in, police say Paul Pelosi was attacked by a hammer-wielding assailant. The suspect, David Wayne DePape, pleaded not guilty to several charges, including attempted murder, in a California court on Tuesday. Pelosi is recovering at a San Francisco hospital. The Justice Department has also filed federal charges against DePape.
The FBI affidavit filed in the federal case against DePape also said that the San Francisco police "recovered zip ties in Pelosi's bedroom and in the hallway near the front door of the Pelosi residence."
San Francisco police said that he told them that, "If Nancy [Pelosi] were to tell DePape the 'truth,' he would let her go, and if she 'lied,' he was going to break 'her kneecaps,'" so that she would have to be wheeled into Congress, the court documents said.
Kathryn Watson, Caroline Linton and Faris Tanyos contributed to this report.