The hammer-wielding suspect accused of smashing windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home is a transgender woman who grew up in one of Cincinnati’s wealthiest neighborhoods, surrounded by privilege and elite schooling, according to a bombshell report from the Daily Mail.
William D. DeFoor, 26, was charged early Monday with obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespass, and vandalism following an overnight break-in at Vance’s $1.4 million Cincinnati residence. Authorities say four windows were damaged during the incident.
DeFoor, who previously went by the name Davis, appears to have transitioned and now goes by Julia on Instagram. Court records list the suspect as male.
The Cincinnati native was raised in the upscale Hyde Park neighborhood, where the family lived in a $1.3 million home. DeFoor’s father, William DeFoor, is a surgeon, and his mother, Catherine DeFoor, is a pediatrician. Both parents are registered Democrats. The couple also has two younger children, Libby and Alex.
William DeFoor works as a pediatric urologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, while Catherine DeFoor is a general pediatrician with a St. Elizabeth Physicians primary care practice in Kentucky, according to the Daily Mail.
Social media posts suggest the family remains close. Both parents were seen visiting their younger children at college campuses last year, according to online photos.
Despite the family’s wealth and professional pedigree, the suspect does not appear to have graduated from a traditional four-year university.
DeFoor attended The Summit Country Day School, a prestigious private Catholic high school in Cincinnati with tuition approaching $27,000 per year. Under the name Davis, DeFoor graduated in 2018 after earning recognition as a National AP Scholar.
During high school, DeFoor was active in the arts, participating in the school’s drama department and performing piano for a musical written, produced and directed by a friend.
The arrest comes as federal authorities investigate what they have described as a targeted act of vandalism at the vice president’s home. Vance and his family were not present at the time of the incident, according to officials.
Local and federal law enforcement continue to review the suspect’s background and potential motives as the case proceeds through the courts.
