Ohio man admits to hammer attack on JD Vance's Cincinnati home

In a Tuesday hearing, 26-year-old William DeFoor entered a guilty plea for willful injury and physical violence against a government official after shattering windows at Senator JD Vance's Cincinnati home and hammer-striking security staff. Prosecutors warned that such attacks on public figures will be pursued vigorously, and DeFoor could receive a sentence of up to 30 years. The defendant, who has a schizophrenia diagnosis, is reportedly the son of a prominent Ohio millionaire family and was using the alias “Julia” on social media.

His father, also named William, is a Harvard-educated pediatric urologist and professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and previously donated to Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign. U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II stressed the necessity of protecting elected officials from threats and vandalism. The case highlights concerns about politically motivated property crimes and mental-health issues intersecting with violent conduct.