Federal sources say the 26-year-old accused of damaging Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home has a history of mental competency findings and past vandalism cases.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The man accused of vandalizing Vice President JD Vance’s home in Cincinnati on Monday has a prior criminal record and demanded that law enforcement officers call him “Julia” during his arrest, according to a report citing federal sources.
The suspect, William DeFoor, 26, was booked into jail and faces charges including vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering, and criminal trespass after allegedly using a hammer to smash several windows at Vance’s residence. The vice president and his family were not home at the time of the incident, according to reporting by Fox News.
Federal Bureau of Investigation sources told the outlet that DeFoor demanded officers refer to him as “Julia” when he was taken into custody. It remains unclear whether DeFoor identifies as transgender or nonbinary, though he has recently posted on social media under the name “Julia DeFoor,” according to the New York Post.
Court records reviewed by Fox News show multiple criminal cases involving DeFoor in recent years, each intersecting with findings related to his mental competency. In April 2023, DeFoor was charged with trespassing at the University of Cincinnati Health Psychiatric Emergency Services after police said he refused to leave the campus. That case was later dismissed after he was found incompetent to stand trial, the report said.
In 2024, DeFoor faced two counts of vandalism for breaking windows at a business in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The case was referred to a mental health docket, and the court ordered treatment rather than a criminal conviction, according to the report.
In October 2024, a Hamilton County court approved an application granting DeFoor’s mother legal guardianship, finding him incompetent due to mental illness.
The New York Post reported that DeFoor’s father, also named William, is a Cincinnati pediatric urologist and Harvard University graduate with a history of donating to Democratic candidates. According to federal campaign finance records cited by the outlet, the elder DeFoor donated thousands of dollars to Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign and previously gave more than $5,000 combined to the campaigns of former President Joe Biden and Harris in 2020 and 2024. He also contributed for years to a political action committee that lobbied on behalf of urologists.
The report further noted that DeFoor’s father publicly supported a federal assault weapons ban following the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, citing past social media posts.
According to Fox News, DeFoor had been a strong student earlier in life. He graduated in 2018 from the Summit Country Day School, where he was a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. He later attended the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music for two years before dropping out in 2020. More recently, DeFoor stated on social media that he was enrolled at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
The investigation into the vandalism at Vance’s home remains ongoing as DeFoor awaits further court proceedings.
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