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The 26-year-old man arrested in connection with the vandalism at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home on Monday morning demanded that authorities call him “Julia,” according to federal sources, as his prior run-ins with the law highlight questions surrounding his mental competency.
William DeFoor was identified as the suspect, and jail records show he was booked Monday on charges of vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering and criminal trespass.
When DeFoor was arrested, he demanded to be called “Julia,” FBI sources told Fox News.
Court records show DeFoor has faced multiple criminal cases in Hamilton County in recent years, with each proceeding intersecting with findings related to his mental competency.
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A suspect is in custody after allegedly damaging property at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home. Secret Service and police responded quickly. (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)
DeFoor was charged in April 2023 with trespassing at the University of Cincinnati Health Psychiatric Emergency Services after police said he refused to leave the premises, but the case was later dismissed after he was ruled incompetent to stand trial.
DeFoor’s legal issues continued in 2024, when he was charged with two counts of vandalism after windows at a Hyde Park business were broken, according to court records and reporting by the Cincinnati Enquirer, with the case referred to a mental health docket and treatment ordered in lieu of conviction.
A man was in custody after damaging property at Vice President JD Vance’s home in Cincinnati on Monday morning, the U.S. Secret Service said. The residence was unoccupied, and Vance and his family were not in the state at the time of the incident. (WXIX)
In October 2024, Hamilton County Court approved an application granting DeFoor’s mother legal guardianship, finding him incompetent by reason of mental illness.
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In his latest arrest, Defoor is accused of causing property damage, including breaking windows on the exterior of a personal residence belonging to Vance, the Secret Service said.
Vice President JD Vance speaks with Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
After the Secret Service detained him, DeFoor was taken into custody by the Cincinnati Police Department.
The agency said no one was inside the residence, and that Vance and his family were not in Ohio at the time of the incident.
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Vance posted a statement on X later Monday morning, writing that an apparent “crazy person” tried to break into the family’s home.
“I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home,” the statement read, in part. “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. We weren’t even home as we had returned already to DC.”