A man was taken into custody overnight after allegedly damaging Vice President JD Vance’s home in Cincinnati, U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.
Vance’s press secretary Taylor Van Kirk said that the Vance family was in Washington, D.C., during the incident.
“An adult male was taken into custody by the Cincinnati Police Department after being detained by U.S. Secret Service personnel for causing property damage, including breaking windows on the exterior of a personal residence associated with the Vice President,” Guglielmi said in a statement.
Broken windows at the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance on Jan. 5, 2025.via WLWT
The man was detained after midnight, he added.
“The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as charging decisions are reviewed,” Guglielmi said.
Two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter said that 26-year-old William DeFoor was in custody in connection with the incident. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office released records reporting that DeFoor faces local charges, including vandalism, obstruction of official business and criminal trespassing.
DeFoorhas a documented history of mental health concerns according to the officials and to published local reports.
The suspect was armed with a hammer, according to two Secret Service sources, who said that the man broke glass, struck a Secret Service vehicle and vandalized property. The suspect is being held on local charges, the sources said. The Secret Service had not previously identified the man as a potential risk.
The Vance family left Cincinnati for D.C. just hours before the incident, the sources said.
Vance thanked responders in a post to X about the incident.
“I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home,” he said in a post to X. “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.”
The Cincinnati Police Department did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for further information.
The incident comes amid heightened concerns over political violence after multiple high-profile killings last year, including the killings of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. President Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts during the 2024 election, and in recent months, several Indiana Republicans faced swatting or threats amid redistricting pressure from Trump.
Josh Cradduck, Tom Winter and Austin Mullen contributed.
