Alleged World War II Memorial vandal Melissa Farris indicted on 2 counts
Melissa Farris has been indicted on two felony counts for vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. She allegedly spray-painted the monument and filled its fountain with soap, claiming the act was a protest against her financial struggles.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal consequences of damaging national monuments and the intersection of political protest with criminal property destruction.
The woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., was formally indicted Friday, Fox News Digital has learned. Melissa Farris was charged on two counts, including destruction of a veterans’ memorial and destruction of government property. The Kentucky woman allegedly spray-painted the words "Clean hands, dirty money" in bright pink paint and dumped bubble soap into the fountain at the center of the memorial, according to authorities. WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON NATIONAL MALL VANDALIZED WITH PINK SPRAY; FOUNTAIN OVERFLOWING WITH BUBBLES Federal prosecutors allege that cleanup and restoration costs already exceeded $1,000. Farris did a Facebook live before turning herself in and her arrest Aug. 14, in which she admitted to the alleged vandalism the day before. "It's me. I am going to turn myself in," she said. "I'm outside district federal court. I am just trying to do the right thing.
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