Kentucky woman charged over vandalism at US WWII Memorial

A woman from Kentucky has been arrested and charged with two felony offences over the vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on Friday.

Pirro identified the suspect as Melissa Farris and said each of the two charges carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

The memorial was vandalised on Thursday using soapy liquid and graffiti. The site’s fountain was filled with foam, while the words “Clean hands Dirty $” were painted on one of the memorial’s surfaces using red and green paint.

Farris later posted videos on Facebook showing herself spray-painting the memorial and questioning why she had not been arrested. In one statement quoted in the criminal complaint, she said she was prepared to accept responsibility for her actions and face the consequences in court.

In videos posted after the incident, Farris appeared emotional and apologised to people who were upset by her actions, saying she was attempting to draw attention to her personal situation and broader concerns.

According to the criminal complaint, a witness photographed Farris while she was allegedly painting the memorial and shared the image with U.S. Park Police. An officer subsequently identified her as someone who had been arrested three days earlier for allegedly camping illegally on federal property near the memorial.

Authorities also recovered a white sign from a nearby rubbish bin. Investigators said the paint on the sign appeared to match the paint found at the memorial.

Farris had reportedly been planning the protest to highlight concerns about the use of U.S. tax dollars and alleged corporate misconduct, including racketeering, embezzlement and forced labour. She had also contacted government officials about the issues, according to an acquaintance.

The arrest comes amid heightened political attention surrounding vandalism at prominent sites in Washington. President Donald Trump condemned the World War II Memorial incident, describing it as an insult to Americans who died during the conflict and saying authorities were pursuing those responsible.