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By Dan Gooding and Jenni Fink
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William DeFoor was arrested Monday in connection with an "attack" at Vice President JD Vance's home in Ohio.
The 26-year-old is accused of breaking windows at the home and was detained by the U.S. Secret Service and the Cincinnati Police Department.
Why It Matters
The vice president's Ohio home was empty at the time, but he had spent the past week there and had left on Sunday. The U.S. Secret Service maintains personnel at the house and at other locations connected to those it protects, regardless of whether they are occupied.
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JD Vance Cincinnati House Attacked: What We Know
The Secret Service heard a loud noise at the home around midnight and found a person who had broken a window with a hammer and was trying to get into the house, the Associated Press reported, citing two law enforcement officials who were not publicly authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The man had also vandalized a Secret Service vehicle on his way up the home’s driveway, one of the officials told the AP.
Who Is William DeFoor?
DeFoor, 26, is from Cincinnati, where Vance's home is located, and had two prior arrests. Other reports linked him with Crestview Hills, Kentucky, where records showed he had relatives.
DeFoor is registered to vote in Ohio, but not to any specific political party, and the last time he voted was in the 2020 election, according to records. DeFoor registered in October 2017, when he turned 18.
Booking details from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office showed DeFoor faced four charges:
- Criminal trespass
- Criminal damage or endangering
- Obstructing official business
- Vandalism
Records showed a hold had been placed on him, preventing his release.
DeFoor was arrested in 2023 for trespassing at UC Health's Psychiatric Emergency Services Building but was found not competent to stand trial and had the charges dismissed, according to Cincinnati news station WLWT. He was also arrested in 2024 on two counts of vandalism but was granted treatment in lieu of conviction, WLWT reported.
Do We Know the Suspect's Motive for the Break-In?
An exact motive for the break-in was not known Monday morning, but authorities had promised further details would be released later in the day.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance 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.”
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to Newsweek: “Shortly after midnight on Monday, January 5, the man was physically detained by Secret Service agents assigned to the Vice President’s home. The residence was unoccupied at the time of the incident, and the Vice President and his family were not in Ohio.
“The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as charging decisions are reviewed.”
What Happens Next
DeFoor was due to be arraigned on Tuesday, records showed.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 1/5/26, 1:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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