Federal authorities arrested a Kentucky woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday. Melissa Farris, 41, now faces two federal felony charges in connection with the damage. Prosecutors allege that she spray-painted part of the memorial while its fountain filled with foam.
The vandalism occurred Thursday, August 13th, at the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion near the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. U.S. Park Police responded at approximately 2 p.m. after receiving a report of a disorderly person. A witness told officers that a woman had been spray-painting the pavilion, while a park ranger arrived to find foam in the fountain and people watching a woman record herself. Authorities said the woman fled after noticing the ranger.
Farris was charged with willfully injuring or committing a depredation against property of the United States and destruction of a veterans’ memorial. Pirro said the two offenses carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Farris was in custody by Friday morning, according to the prosecutor.
As the Daily Caller reported, Pirro announced the charges in a post on X and described the vandalism as an attack on Americans who fought and died during World War II. “Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom,” she wrote. Pirro added that her father and grandfather were among the Americans connected to that generation’s service.
The Justice Department said orange paint had been used to write “Clean Hands Dirty $” on a wall at the pavilion. Investigators also found green paint on the wall and pink paint splattered across the ground. A white sign recovered from a nearby trash can reportedly contained paint that appeared to match the colors used at the memorial.
A witness photographed the woman allegedly defacing the site, according to the criminal complaint. One Park Police officer reportedly recognized her as someone arrested on August 10th for unlawfully camping on federal property several blocks from the memorial. During that earlier arrest, the woman allegedly livestreamed under the name “Melissa Lovewell,” an alias prosecutors have attributed to Farris.
See Pirro’s statement and the accompanying images here:
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Investigators said they reviewed Farris’ public social media accounts and discovered multiple livestreams recorded on the day of the vandalism. In one video, she allegedly acknowledged that she understood the choices she was making and wanted to push a purported whistleblower case into court. “I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make,” she reportedly said. Prosecutors also alleged that another recording contained an admission that she damaged the memorial.
President Donald Trump responded to the vandalism Friday in a Truth Social post. “THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II,” Trump wrote. He also referenced the recent controversy surrounding damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and said authorities were pursuing those responsible for the memorial incident.
The memorial honors the 16 million American service members who served during World War II, millions of civilians who supported the war effort, and more than 400,000 Americans who died during the conflict. Its Atlantic and Pacific pavilions represent the war’s two main theaters, and more than four million people visit the site annually. The Interior Department called the vandalism an “utter disgrace” and said it “will not be tolerated.”