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Man arrested after vandalism at JD Vance’s Cincinnati home

· 3 min read
Man arrested after vandalism at JD Vance’s Cincinnati home

A 26-year-old Cincinnati man is in custody after allegedly breaking windows and damaging a vehicle at the personal residence of Vice President JD Vance in that city the morning of Jan. 5, according to a report from FOX19. Authorities say the home was unoccupied at the time, per NBC News. 

The incident occurred shortly after midnight at Vance’s East Walnut Hills home, according to WLWT, an NBC affiliate. A Secret Service agent assigned to the property spotted and apprehended the suspect, identified as William DeFoor of Hyde Park, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. According to police, DeFoor used a hammer to break four exterior windows and damage a vehicle — described in varying law enforcement reports as either a personal or federal vehicle, as reported by FOX19. 

Vance and his family were not in Ohio during the incident; they were in Washington, D.C., according to USA Today. The Secret Service confirmed no breach of the home’s interior occurred, and no injuries were reported, per ABC News. 

According to WLWT, DeFoor faces multiple charges: felony vandalism, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespass, and obstructing official business. 

Court records show DeFoor has a prior conviction from April 2025 for a separate vandalism case involving over $2,000 in damage to a Hyde Park business, according to FOX19. He was sentenced to restitution and two years of mental health treatment after that crime.

Vance responded to the incident in a post on X, describing the suspect as “a crazy person [who] tried to break in by hammering the windows” and thanked the Secret Service and Cincinnati police for their swift response.

Authorities are investigating whether Vance was specifically targeted, according to USA Today. However, no motive has been publicly disclosed, and officials have not classified the act as a threat to the Vice President, per CNN. 

The Secret Service is working closely with Cincinnati police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as the investigation continues.