(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced the arrest of a suspect who allegedly vandalized the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., saying in a post on social media that her office filed two felony charges against a woman, with a penalty of “up to ten years in prison.”
In the post, Pirro identified the suspect as Melissa L. Farris and said Farris is in custody. An attorney for Farris could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom,” Pirro wrote.
According to ABC affiliate WJLA, U.S. Park Police launched an investigation on Thursday after red paint was dumped onto the walls and floor of the Atlantic pavilion, and a substance poured into the fountain caused it to bubble.
When asked for comment on the incident, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior said: “The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII. The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated.”
Friends of the World War II Memorial, a group dedicated to preserving the monument, called the vandalism “unacceptable.”
“There are many places in our country for expression, debate, and disagreement. A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism,” the group wrote in a statement.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the incident on Thursday.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
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