Woman arrested on felony charges for vandalizing World War II Memorial
Melissa L. Farris was arrested in Washington and faces two federal felony counts for damaging the World War II Memorial after a livestreamed spray-painting incident.
A Washington woman identified as Melissa L. Farris was taken into custody on Friday and charged in federal court with willfully injuring United States property and destroying a veterans’ memorial. The charges stem from a Thursday incident in which the World War II Memorial’s fountain was filled with bubbles and graffiti reading “Clean hands dirty $” was sprayed on the monument.
According to an affidavit, a U.S. Park Ranger observed Farris fleeing the scene after a call about a disorderly person. Park Police later recognized her from a prior arrest for unlawful camping on federal land in August.
Farris appeared to livestream the act on Facebook, saying, “It was me, I’m doing it, I did it, it’s on camera.” A subsequent livestream showed her turning herself in.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the arrest on social media, noting the seriousness of the offense. The Friends of the National World War II Memorial described the site as a “sacred place of remembrance,” while the Interior Department called the vandalism “an utter disgrace.”