According to a statement from the US Secret Service on January 5, the suspect identified as William D. DeFoor (26 years old) is facing numerous federal charges, including destroying government property, using violence against property in restricted areas and assaulting, opposing or obstructing federal employees. The information was released by the US Attorney General's Office in the southern Ohio region.
According to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, DeFoor was arrested right after midnight last night, when agents assigned to protect Vice President Vance's house, located in the eastern center of Cincinnati, discovered the incident. At the time of the incident, Mr. Vance and his family were not at home, as they had returned to Washington on January 4 after a weekend vacation.
According to the file submitted to the court, the Secret Service discovered a man running along the fence in front of the building and illegally entering the premises at about midnight.
The suspect, carrying a hammer, smashed a secret service car without license plates when entering the car path of the house. Then, this person approached the front of the house and used a hammer to break the window panes.
DeFoor was arrested after trying to escape by road when officers approached. According to investigation documents, total property damage in the case is estimated at about 28,000 USD.
Public records show that DeFoor resides in Cincinnati City.
On social network X, Vice President JD Vance thanked the US Secret Service and Cincinnati police for their quick response to the incident. “I thank everyone for their inquiries about the attack on my family's private home” - Mr. Vance wrote. “From what I know, a man showing signs of loss of control tried to break in by using a hammer to break the glass door”.
Court records also show that DeFoor faced a property damage charge in 2024 and agreed to participate in treatment within the framework of the program of the District-level Mental Health Court. This detail is being considered by functional agencies in the process of assessing the current indictment.
The Secret Service said it is closely coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the US Attorney General's Office to review the entire case and finalize prosecution decisions.
Vice President Vance's house is located in one of the oldest residential areas of Cincinnati, on the hillsides overlooking the city center.
During his term as vice president, this area often saw gatherings and protests outside his home. Last spring, there was a tense incident when protesters faced Mr. Vance himself directly.
Mr. JD Vance is a Republican, formerly a senator representing Ohio before becoming US Vice President.
After graduating in law and working for a time in Silicon Valley, he moved to live in Cincinnati.
He grew up in Middletown, Ohio - where he is associated with the famous memoir "Hillbilly Elegy", a work that helped him become widely known in American politics.
