A 26-year-old man was arrested after attempting to break into Vice President JD Vance's home in Cincinnati by smashing windows with a hammer. The incident occurred late Monday night, but Vance and his family were not present. Authorities have charged the suspect with several offenses, and he faces potential federal charges.
On Monday night, after midnight, William Defoor, 26, allegedly trespassed at JD Vance's residence in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Secret Service agents detained him after hearing glass shatter as he used a hammer to break windows. A Secret Service vehicle was also damaged during the incident.
Vance, who was in Washington, DC, with his family, shared his reaction on X. "I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly," he wrote. "We weren’t even home as we had returned already to DC."
Vance expressed concern for his children's privacy amid media coverage. "One request to the media: we try to protect our kids as much as possible from the realities of this life of public service. In that light, I am skeptical of the news value of plastering images of our home with holes in the windows," he added.
Defoor faces state charges including vandalism, obstructing official business, criminal damaging, and criminal trespass. He is held at the Hamilton County Detention Center and scheduled for court on Tuesday. The U.S. Secret Service stated, "The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as charging decisions are reviewed." Additional federal charges may follow.
Defoor has a history of similar offenses. In November 2023, a criminal trespassing case was dismissed after a judge found him incompetent to stand trial. Earlier this year, he received mental health treatment as part of a sentence for vandalizing an interior design company, causing over $2,000 in damage.
