{"id":45491,"date":"2026-08-15T00:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45491"},"modified":"2026-08-15T00:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:26:40","slug":"woman-charged-with-felonies-in-world-war-ii-memorial-vandalism-in-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45491","title":{"rendered":"Woman charged with felonies in World War II Memorial vandalism in DC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The suspect accused of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_7046945\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/world-war-ii-memorial-national-mall-vandalized-pink-spray-paint-fountain-overflowing-bubbles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vandalizing<\/a> the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., has been charged with two federal offenses for injuring\/depredating U.S. property and the destruction of a veterans\u2019 memorial, according to court documents.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The DOJ is accusing Kentucky woman Melissa L. Farris of an act of vandalism which occurred Thursday. The words &#8220;Clean hands, dirty money,&#8221; were spray-painted on the memorial in bright pink paint along with dumping bubble soap into the fountain at the center of the memorial, according to authorities.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Federal prosecutors allege that cleanup and restoration costs already exceeded $1,000.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fox News Digital scanned Farris&#8217; social media pages, which were cited in the court documents, and found she posted to Facebook Friday morning in a video.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It&#8217;s me. I am going to turn myself in \u2026 I&#8217;m outside district federal court,&#8221; she said in a Facebook live.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_7046946\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/prosecutors-move-dismiss-felony-vandalism-case-olympian-david-hearn-reflecting-pools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PROSECUTORS MOVE TO DISMISS FELONY VANDALISM CASE AGAINST OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN OVER REFLECTING POOL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/war-memorial-grafitti.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"August 13, 2026, Washington, District of Columbia, United States: Vandals poured bubble soap and painted graffiti on the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 13, 2026.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Vandals poured bubble soap and painted graffiti on the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., Thursday.<\/span> <span>(Credit Image: \u00a9 Andrew Leyden\/ZUMA Press Wire)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I am just trying to do the right thing \u2026 I was trying to get people to listen\u2026 I tried to reach the media, I tried to fight back. I tried to ignore it,&#8221; she said in tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Farris claimed she lived in a paper-thin camper that she &#8220;boarded up with cardboard in the winter to feel a little bit warmer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fox News Digital reached out to U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for comment.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather. This morning, we are filing two felony charges, Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans&#8217; Memorials, in Federal District Court against Melissa L. Farris, offenses that carry penalties of up to ten years in prison. She is now in custody,&#8221; United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced earlier Friday morning.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">President Donald Trump reacted strongly to the memorial&#8217;s defacement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;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. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???&#8221; he wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/dc-vandalism-split-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"world war two split damage vandal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Vandalism at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., left parts of the historic monument covered in a white substance, prompting concern over damage to the national landmark.\u00a0<\/span> <span>(U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The memorial is the latest D.C. monument targeted this year.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_7046947\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-doubles-down-reflecting-pool-vandalism-allegations-cites-new-witness-account\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM ALLEGATIONS, CITES NEW WITNESS ACCOUNT\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Trump <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_7046948\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/white-house-asks-doj-consider-new-prosecution-reflecting-pool-case\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continues to seek<\/a> the prosecution of a former Olympian accused of ripping the Lincoln Monument Memorial Reflecting Pool&#8217;s coating.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/343\/192\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/686\/384\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/672\/378\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1344\/756\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/931\/523\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1862\/1046\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/720\/405\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1440\/810\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1200\/675\/trump-refelcting-pool-ruber.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"trump reflecting pool rubber\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Trump posted about a hard rubber surface on the Lincoln Monument Memorial Reflecting Pool being targeted by vandals.<\/span> <span>(Donald J. Trump\/Truth Social)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/343\/192\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/686\/384\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/672\/378\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1344\/756\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/931\/523\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1862\/1046\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/720\/405\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1440\/810\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1200\/675\/8647-national-mall-fox-news.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"86 47 national mall\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>The numbers &#8220;86 47&#8221; on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial.<\/span> <span>(Al Drago\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">In June, U.S. Park Police also launched an investigation after the numbers &#8220;8647&#8221; were <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_7046950\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/deranged-message-national-mall-sparks-police-probe-trump-security-fears-mount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">burned into the grass<\/a> near the Washington Monument.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The suspect accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., has been charged with two federal offenses for injuring\/depredating U.S. property and the destruction of a veterans\u2019 memorial, according to court documents. The DOJ is accusing Kentucky woman Melissa L. Farris of an act&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/melissa_l_farris.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}