Arrest Made In Defacing Of World War II Memorial

A woman is now facing charges for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in the nation’s capital, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.

Pirro wrote in a statement posted to X that her office was “filing two felony charges … against Melissa L. Farris, offenses that carry penalties of up to ten years in prison,” adding that Farris is now in custody. The announcement comes after the memorial was discovered to be vandalized with spray paint and bubbles on Thursday, NBC4 Washington reported.

“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 in the social media post. “Those Americans include my father and grandfather.”

President Donald Trump said Friday in a Truth Social post responding to the monument being vandalized that there is “no greater insult to those American Heroes.”

“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,” the president wrote in the post. “First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???”

The U.S. Interior Department similarly blasted the vandalism as an “utter disgrace” in a Thursday statement provided to Fox 5.

“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,” according to the department’s statement. “The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated. Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing.”