Melissa Farris, 41, was taken into custody and charged with depredation of US property and destruction of veterans’ memorials following an incident at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. The vandalism occurred a day before her arrest, with the memorial defaced with soap, graffiti, and bubbles in its fountain, along with red and green painted text reading “Clean hands dirty $.”
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charges on Friday, characterizing the vandalism as a desecration of a site honoring Americans who died in service. The felony charges carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Pirro shared photographs on social media showing a woman appearing to hold a spray-paint can near the graffiti. Farris was scheduled for arraignment on Friday, though the Public Defender’s Office indicated she had not yet been assigned legal representation.
The arrest comes amid ongoing tensions between Pirro and President Trump over a separate vandalism case involving the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Earlier this month, Pirro dropped charges against multiple individuals, including former Olympic athlete David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the pool’s sealant. Pirro cited insufficient information from the Interior Department and attributed the damage to faulty repairs rather than intentional vandalism.
Trump publicly criticized Pirro’s decision to drop the charges, stating on August 3 that she “folded like an umbrella.” On Friday, Trump connected the two incidents, posting on Truth Social that the World War II Memorial vandalism followed the Reflecting Pool incident, stating “We are on their trail!”
The Interior Department stated that US Park Police were investigating the World War II Memorial vandalism and pledged to identify those responsible for what officials called “this disgusting act.”
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