U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday the arrest of Melissa L. Farris, who faces two felony charges for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The charges carry a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison.
U.S. Park Police initiated an investigation Thursday after discovering red paint had been dumped on the memorial's walls and floor, and a bubbling substance was poured into its fountain. According to the statement of facts filed in federal court, a witness photographed a woman, later identified as Farris, appearing to spray paint the memorial before fleeing.
The witness provided the images to law enforcement, and a U.S. Park Police officer recognized Farris from a previous arrest on Aug. 10 for unlawfully camping on federal property near the memorial.
Investigators found social media postings linked to Farris, including a livestream video prior to the alleged vandalism and another video in which she purportedly admitted to damaging the memorial and expressed surprise at not being immediately arrested. "Why the [expletive] didn’t I get arrested? You don’t think that’s weird…," she stated in the video, according to court records.
Farris is charged with depredation against property of the U.S. and destruction of a veterans' memorial.
The Department of the Interior released a statement calling the vandalism a "despicable attack on a sacred monument" and "an utter disgrace" that would not be tolerated. Friends of the World War II Memorial, an advocacy group, described the act as "unacceptable," emphasizing that national memorials should not be used for vandalism.
President Donald Trump also commented on the incident via social media Thursday, calling the vandalism "the GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II."