Kentucky Woman Charged with Vandalizing World War II Memorial in Washington
Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabetown, Kentucky, was arrested on felony charges for defacing the World War II Memorial with paint and graffiti, and faces up to ten years in prison.
The District of Columbia’s attorney's office announced Friday that Melissa Farris, 41, from Elizabetown, Kentucky, has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial. Court documents list multiple felony counts, including depredation against U.S. property and destruction of a veterans’ memorial, carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years.
According to the prosecutor’s social-media post, pink paint was splattered on the monument and neon orange graffiti reading “Clean hands Dirty $” appeared on the Atlantic Pavilion, accompanied by pink and green markings and soap-filled fountains. The Interior Department launched the investigation after the damage was reported on Thursday.
Farris, who uses the name Melissa Lovewell on Facebook, posted videos in which she admitted to the act and said she was doing so to advance a whistleblower case. > "I am cognitively aware and executively of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom...I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make and our government needs to be accountable for their choices too," she said.
The case follows public statements from officials condemning the incident as an attack on a historic site.