Updated on: August 14, 2026 / 2:46 PM EDT
/ CBS News
Washington — A woman who allegedly vandalized the World War II Memorial in Washington with spray paint has been arrested and faces two felony charges, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Melissa Farris, a 41-year-old from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, has been charged with depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans' memorials, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia said in a statement.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges in a post on X and said Farris was in custody.
"Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom," Pirro said.
The World War II Memorial is located on the National Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. On Thursday, fountains at the memorial were seen filled with soapy bubbles, and a wall was defaced with paint of various colors, including graffiti reading "Clean Hands Dirty $."
Pirro's office said a witness told U.S. Park Police officers that they saw a woman spray-painting one of the pavilions at the memorial.
"A United States Park Ranger arrived at the scene and observed foam in the fountain area of the Atlantic pavilion. Multiple people were gathered around the balcony watching a woman shooting video of herself," prosecutors said. "The woman fled when she became aware of the Ranger's presence."
Pirro's post on X included a photo of the woman she identified as Farris appearing to spray-paint the walls of the memorial:
Pirro's office cited several social media videos that Farris allegedly posted admitting to the vandalism. In one, prosecutors said Farris said she was "cognitively aware … of the choices I am making."
In another video, filmed at the memorial, Farris said, "I'm here, I done did it," before recording herself throwing a pink spray-paint can on the ground in the pavilion. A clip from that video appears on an Instagram profile that appears to belong to Farris.
Pirro's office said that Park Police recognized Farris after having arrested her earlier this month for unlawfully camping on federal property near the memorial.
On Friday morning, Farris live-streamed several videos on Facebook outside the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, before turning herself in. Speaking through tears, she said she had "never been in this position before."
"I'm just trying to do the right thing. I was just trying to get people to listen," Farris said. "I was just trying to scream loud enough that somebody would help me."
Each charge Farris faces carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. Farris made her initial appearance at the courthouse in Alexandria and was detained, a spokesperson for Pirro's office told CBS News.
