Woman Arrested After Alleged Vandalism of World War II Memorial in Washington, DC

A woman has been arrested and charged with allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

Melissa L. Farris, of Kentucky, made her first appearance Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, facing charges including destruction of U.S. property and destruction of a veterans’ memorial. Prosecutors are seeking to keep her detained while she awaits a detention hearing in Washington, DC, next week.

According to the indictment, U.S. Park Police responded Thursday afternoon to a report of a disorderly person at the memorial. A witness allegedly saw Farris spray-painting graffiti, while a ranger reported seeing foam in the memorial fountain as the suspect fled.

Police later received a photograph from a witness allegedly showing Farris spray-painting the memorial. An officer also recognized her from an arrest days earlier for allegedly camping unlawfully on federal property.

The indictment says Farris later recorded a livestream in which she allegedly acknowledged defacing federal property and said the government should be held accountable for its choices.

The preliminary cost to clean and restore the memorial is estimated at more than $1,000, according to the indictment. Farris faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

The vandalism included neon orange graffiti inside the fountain, additional pink and green graffiti and soap that created foam in the water. National Park Service personnel cleaned the area, and the graffiti and bubbles were gone by Friday morning.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars called the vandalism an act of profound disrespect and said it expects accountability and a swift restoration of the memorial.

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