In Columbus, Ohio, a man suspected of defacing the residence of Vice President JD Vance under the cover of night has been detained, pending proceedings in both state and federal courts.
William D. DeFoor, 26, found himself in two courtrooms following his arrest early Monday by Secret Service agents stationed at the Vance family home in Cincinnati’s prestigious East Walnut Hills area, situated to the east of the city center. At the time of the incident, the vice president and his family were not present.
As detailed in a federal court affidavit, Secret Service agents observed an individual, later identified as DeFoor, sprinting along the perimeter of Vance’s property before unlawfully entering the premises around midnight. Armed with a hammer, DeFoor allegedly attempted to smash a window of an unmarked Secret Service vehicle before advancing toward the house itself, where he shattered the glass windows, the document states.
The damage included the destruction of fourteen antique window panes and harm to security installations around the windows, with repairs estimated to cost $28,000, according to the affidavit.
In Hamilton County court, a judge set bonds amounting to $11,000 for state charges, including vandalism, criminal trespass, criminal damaging, and obstruction of official business. DeFoor was previously found incompetent to stand trial for a 2023 trespassing charge and was directed to seek treatment following a 2024 vandalism charge. A grand jury session is scheduled for January 15.
Meanwhile, a federal court hearing in Cincinnati is slated for Friday to decide if DeFoor might be granted bail from the Hamilton County jail.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Ohio’s southern district brought charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against property in a restricted area and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
The first two charges are each punishable by up to 10 years in prison, while assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Messages left with possible relatives and with DeFoor’s attorney were not immediately returned.
His defense attorney said he and Secret Service spent “hours,” after DeFoor’s arrest on Monday discussing what happened, saying it had nothing to do with political beliefs and was a mental health issue.
Vance expressed gratitude in a post Monday on the social platform X to the public for all the well wishes and to the Secret Service and Cincinnati police for their quick response to the incident.
“As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows,” he wrote.
According to his office, Vance and his family were home in Cincinnati over the weekend. Court filings indicate that they left to return to Washington around 3 p.m. Sunday.
CNN contributed to this report.
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