A suspect accused of defacing the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC — an incident that drew an angry response from Donald Trump — has been arrested.
Images from the scene showed bright red paint splashed across the memorial, along with the message: ‘Clean hands, dirty money.’
Authorities say soap was also dumped into the fountain, causing bubbles to foam up around the site.
The Justice Department and the US Attorney’s Office are formally charging Melissa L Farris with two felonies in connection with the vandalism, which took place Thursday.
Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia and a former Fox News host, condemned the incident as a ‘despicable attack.’
‘Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather,’ Pirro said Friday.
Pirro said Farris could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Trump denounced the vandalism, saying there was ‘no greater insult to American heroes’ who lost their lives in World War II.
‘First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???’ he wrote on Truth Social.
Melissa L Farris, who is suspected of vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, on Thursday, was formally accused of the crime and taken into custody
The suspect could serve up to ten years in prison if she is convicted
Hot red paint was splattered over the memorial with the words ‘Clean hands, dirty money.’ The vandal also threw in soap that bubbled up into the fountain
Trump claimed an ‘acid-like material’ was used on the grass near the reflecting pool and referenced how the phrase ’86 47′ appeared on the lawn earlier this month
This incident is just the latest DC landmark to face sabotage this year.
The saga of the Lincoln Monument Memorial Reflecting Pool has been ongoing as Trump continues to seek the prosecution of a former Olympian accused of ripping the pool’s coating.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been a thorn in the President’s side ever since he took personal oversight of the renovation, which included adding an ‘American flag blue’ liner.
It was one of several ‘beautification’ projects around the capital that Trump had ordered ahead of the July 4 celebration.
But problems soon arose, with the coating peeling off and algae turning the pool’s water a mucky green.
Pirro brought and subsequently dismissed criminal charges against three-time Olympian David Hearn, 67, accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.
Now, Democrats are probing whether DOJ knowingly proceeded with a ‘bogus’ indictment against the Olympian – and whether Trump pressured Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to ‘retaliate’ against the individual.
The House Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, Jamie Raskin, is demanding communications related to the damaged Reflecting Pool lining.
This incident is just the latest DC landmark to face sabotage this year
Suds at the pool of the World War II Memorial after it was reportedly vandalized with soap
The effort comes after Pirro moved to dismiss felony vandalism charges against Hearn late last month, angering Trump.
Prosecutors cited the lack of evidence against Hearn, as well as ‘newly released documents’ from the Interior Department that they said shed light on the true nature of the damage.
The filing acknowledged that the damage to the Reflecting Pool’s lining was, in fact, the result of a ‘hasty’ and ‘botched’ installation aimed at completing a project by the Trump administration’s July 4 deadline, rather than the work of intentional vandalism.
In June, US Park Police also launched an investigation after the numbers ‘8647’ were burned into the grass near the Washington Monument.
