Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman who was arrested Thursday over the leak of classified US intelligence documents, hails from a patriotic family with a history of military service.
Teixeira, who was taken into custody at his mother’s home in North Dighton, Mass., followed his stepfather into the Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing.
Meanwhile, his mother has dedicated herself to a slew of non-profit organizations serving veterans over the years.
For Teixeira’s family, his shock arrest for allegedly leaking highly sensitive intelligence records online appears to clash with their decades of military service and patriotic zeal.
Here’s what we know so far about the Guardsman’s parents and family:
Who are Jack Teixeira’s parents?
Teixeira’s mom, Dawn Dufault, and his stepdad, Thomas Dufault, live in the single-family home in North Dighton, east of Providence, RI, where the the Guardsman was nabbed by federal agents.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long Dawn and Thomas have been married.
Thomas Dufault retired from the military in April 2019 after 34 years of service, including a stint as master sergeant in the same 102nd Intelligence Wing that his stepson ended up joining months later. Dufault was pictured snapping off a salute at a retirement ceremony at Joint Base Cape Cod. where Teixeira was also stationed.
Teixeira’s stepdad also has pilot, mechanic and real estate licenses, according to online records.
Teixeira’s mom, Dawn, has long supported veteran-oriented nonprofit organizations, including the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and Home for Our Troops. She also briefly worked for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services between 2014 to 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Since 2017, Dawn has been running a florist business — Bayberry Farm & Flower Company — out of the home where Teixeira was picked up Thursday.
Dawn regularly took to her flower shop’s Facebook page to praise her son’s achievements and post photos of her military family members on Veteran’s Day.
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“Jack is on his way home today, tech school complete, ready to start his career in the Air National Guard!” she wrote alongside a photo of a welcome home balloon on June 3, 2021.
What do we know about Jack’s biological father?
Little is known about Jack Michael Teixeira — the guardsman’s biological dad.
He is believed to have separated from his ex-wife when their son was younger, but it wasn’t immediately clear when.
The elder Teixeira lives still in the same town as his ex-wife, according to online records.
Have Teixeria’s parents said anything about his arrest?
Teixeira’s parents haven’t commented publicly since the 21-year-old was hauled away in handcuffs from the family home.
In the hours before her son was publicly identified as a suspect by the feds, Dawn spoke to a New York Times reporter outside her home to confirm that Teixeira was a member of the Air National Guard.
She only said that he had been recently working overnight shifts at the Cape Cod base and had changed his phone number in the last few days.
After Teixeira was spotted arriving at the home and heading inside, an unidentified man standing outside the home told reporters that the Guardsman would need to lawyer up.
“He needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I’m sure,” the man said.
Does Jack Teixeira have any siblings?
It is unclear exactly how many siblings Teixeria has, but it appears he has at least two half brothers or step brothers, according to online records.
The New York Times reported Teixeira also has a sister who would post photos of him on Facebook each year for his birthday.
