A woman faces up to 10 years behind bars for allegedly spray-painting the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the hammer on Friday, revealing that Melissa L. Farris had been arrested and slapped with two felony counts, according to reports. The charges include depredation against U.S. property and destruction of a veterans' memorial. Pirro didn't hold back, calling the act a "despicable attack on a sacred monument" and making it deeply personal by noting that both her father and grandfather served in the war.
So what exactly went down? On Thursday, visitors to the iconic memorial were greeted by neon orange graffiti scrawled across the Atlantic Pavilion's inner fountain walls reading "Clean hands Dirty $." Pink and green paint also covered sections of the pavilion. And just to really drive home the disrespect, someone dumped soap into the memorial fountains, turning them into a giant bubble bath.
Pirro posted photos online that she said depicted Farris in the act of tagging the memorial with spray paint. Law enforcement moved fast, cordoning off the area Thursday afternoon while National Park Service workers got to scrubbing. By Friday morning, every trace of paint and suds had been wiped clean.
President Donald Trump weighed in Friday, posting that his administration was on the "trail" of those responsible and calling the vandals "animals." The Interior Department released a blistering statement labeling the whole incident "an utter disgrace," emphasizing that the memorial honors more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives during the Second World War.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars also jumped into the fray, calling the vandalism an act of "profound disrespect" and demanding swift accountability. The organization said it wants a clear plan from the Park Service to repair any lasting damage and preserve the memorial as a proper tribute to what many call America's Greatest Generation.
Visitors at the scene were livid. Scott Wimpfheimer, who traveled from Minnesota and Alabama with his family, told a local news outlet that both his son and daughter deployed to Iraq. He called the vandalism incomprehensible and said he hopes the person responsible gets locked up "for a long, long time." He added that maybe hitting offenders in their wallets or putting them in a cell is the only thing that will put an end to this kind of behavior.
This isn't even the first time a national memorial on the Mall has been targeted recently. Earlier in the summer, the numbers "86 47" were carved into the grass near the Washington Monument, widely interpreted as anti-presidential messaging. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has also been plagued with peeling paint and algae issues following renovation work, leaving it drained for ongoing repairs.
As of Friday morning, the WWII Memorial stood restored to its rightful condition, once again serving as a solemn tribute to the hundreds of thousands who sacrificed everything. Farris now awaits her day in court, where she could face a decade in federal prison if convicted.
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