Iwo Jima statue decapitated in Quantico
Fox News senior national correspondent Kevin Corke reports on the alleged decapitation of an Iwo Jima statue in Quantico, Virginia, by a 27-year-old man during an appearance on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
A man accused of using a sledgehammer to sever the head of a Marine figure on an Iwo Jima monument near Quantico, Virginia, was granted bond Monday morning.
Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, received bond in Prince William County Circuit Court. Officials are expected to set his next court appearance soon.
Maldonado Soriano, a Mexican national who entered the country illegally and previously held Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection, faces charges of felony destruction of property, trespassing with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument.
The suspect accused of using a sledgehammer to decapitate a Marine figure on an Iwo Jima monument near Quantico, Virginia, was granted bond Monday morning. (Photo provided via federal source)
Authorities arrested him last week after he allegedly attacked the World War II monument near Marine Corps Base Quantico with a sledgehammer.
Prince William County police officers responded around 10:13 p.m. on Oct. 21 and allegedly discovered Maldonado Soriano striking the monument with the tool.
According to authorities, the limestone sculpture suffered extensive damage, including the complete removal of one Marine’s head.
Police said repairing the damage could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Prince William County Police)
Several other figures shown raising the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima were damaged as well.
Investigators estimated that restoration costs would reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Federal sources previously told Fox News that Maldonado Soriano crossed into the United States illegally in December 1999 and received DACA protection under the Obama administration in 2014.
The damaged 9-foot limestone statue portrays the historic flag-raising atop Mount Suribachi during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima. (Prince William County Police)
The Biden administration extended his DACA status in 2024, but the protection expired in August 2026 after it was not renewed under the Trump administration.
Standing 9 feet tall, the damaged limestone monument recreates the iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima.
The sculpture was created by Felix de Weldon, who later designed the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
