41-Year-Old Woman Charged Over Washington WWII Memorial Damage.

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with two felony offenses following the vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Melissa Farris was taken into custody and charged with depredation of US property and destruction of veterans’ memorials. The charges carry a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

The arrest came a day after the memorial was vandalised with soap and graffiti. Bubbles reportedly filled the memorial’s fountain, while the words “Clean hands dirty $” were painted in red and green.

Pirro condemned the incident, describing the memorial as a sacred monument honouring Americans who fought and died during World War II. She also shared photographs appearing to show a woman holding a spray-paint can near graffiti at the memorial.

Farris was expected to appear in court on Friday. The Public Defender’s Office said she had not yet been assigned a lawyer.

Vandalism Case Follows Trump-Pirro Dispute

The arrest comes weeks after Pirro dropped charges against several people accused of damaging the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The decision sparked criticism from President Donald Trump.

Trump had accused the suspects of deliberately vandalising the pool after renovations he had ordered. However, Pirro later said her office had received incomplete information from the Interior Department and blamed faulty repairs for the damage.

Trump publicly criticised Pirro over the decision, saying he was disappointed that she had dropped the charges.

Following the latest incident at the World War II Memorial, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the memorial had been targeted by spray-paint vandals and linked the incident to the earlier Reflecting Pool controversy.

The US Interior Department said the US Park Police were investigating and vowed to identify those responsible.

The incident comes as Trump continues to make renovations and law enforcement in Washington, DC, major priorities of his second administration. Critics have accused his administration of taking a heavy-handed approach to law enforcement and have questioned the basis of some criminal cases.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share