10 Years in Prison for WWII Memorial Vandal
Melissa Farris, 41, livestreamed herself defacing the sacred landmark with graffiti and soap suds, now faces two federal felonies.
A 41-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with two federal felony counts after the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was defaced with spray-painted graffiti and suds overflowing from its central fountain.
Melissa L. Farris faces up to 10 years in federal prison after being charged with willfully injuring or committing a depredation against property of the United States and the destruction of a veterans' memorial, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
Memorial Defaced on Live Video
The incident occurred on Thursday around 2 p.m. ET, when the phrase "Clean hands dirty $" was spray-painted across surfaces at the site and soap suds were poured into the fountain waters. Officials also reported bright neon spray paint splattered across the plaza.
According to court filings, the suspect appeared to broadcast the entire act live on Facebook. The video showed a woman shaking a spray paint can before applying it to the monument while declaring, "It was me, I’m doing it, I did it, it’s on camera." The woman then turned herself in on Friday morning, also broadcasting that event on a livestream.
Identification and Federal Response
A U.S. Park Ranger observed the suspect fleeing the scene following reports of a disorderly person on Thursday. A U.S. Park Police officer subsequently identified her from an earlier arrest on August 10 for unlawfully camping on federal land, where she had presented a Kentucky driver's license.
The U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Park Police strongly condemned the act, launching an immediate investigation and cordoning off the area while specialized maintenance crews worked to scrub away the paint and clear the soap from the water system.
Dedicated in 2004, the World War II Memorial features 56 granite pillars surrounding an elliptical plaza and fountain. The monument stands on the National Mall as a tribute honoring the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the conflict and the more than 400,000 who lost their lives.
