A suspect has been arrested in connection with the vandalism of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
Melissa L. Farris faces two felony charges: "Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans’ Memorials." These offenses carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison. On Thursday, the words “Clean hands dirty $” were found spray-painted on the monument, and its fountain was filled with bubbles.
Pirro stated that vandalizing the memorial is a "despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom." She noted that her own father and grandfather served in World War II.
A woman identifying herself as Melissa Lovewell posted a video on Facebook on Thursday showing her spray-painting the monument, stating, “It was me, I’m doing it, it’s on camera.” In a separate post Friday, the woman, who had reportedly been in Washington for three weeks, said she was turning herself in.
An arrest warrant stated that witnesses photographed the vandalism as it occurred. A U.S. Park Police officer recognized the suspect from a previous arrest on Aug. 10 for "unlawfully camping on federal property" in the vicinity. The suspect was identified by her Kentucky driver's license as Melissa L. Farris, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Farris was expected to be arraigned Friday. As of Friday, she had not yet been assigned an attorney, according to the Public Defender’s office.
The incident drew sharp criticism from Pirro and President Donald Trump. Trump, who had previously blamed vandals for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, stated on his Truth Social platform, “Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. First the Reflecting Pool, now this.”
The Interior Department confirmed that U.S. Park Police investigated the vandalism, stating, "The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act."
The Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a nonprofit organization, issued a statement noting that while there are many places for expression, "A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism."
The Veterans of Foreign Wars called the act "an act of profound disrespect, a slap in the face to the veterans who served and sacrificed and to the families who carried that burden at home."
Separately, a former Olympian was charged in late July with damaging the Reflecting Pool. However, the Justice Department later sought to dismiss the case, citing evidence that suggested the damage resulted from construction issues rather than vandalism. Trump had publicly criticized Pirro's assessment in that case, asserting the damage was the work of vandals.
The dismissal of the Reflecting Pool case was seen as a setback for the Justice Department, which had initially supported Trump's claims. Pirro's decision to drop the case was also noted as a rare instance of a political appointee openly disagreeing with Trump.