Kathmandu— A woman has been arrested and charged with two felonies for vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., just weeks after President Donald Trump publicly criticized a decision by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to drop charges in a separate vandalism case involving the nearby Reflecting Pool. Melissa Farris, 41, was taken into custody on Friday and charged with depredation of US property and destruction of veterans’ memorials, offenses that carry penalties of up to ten years in prison. The memorial had been defaced with soap and graffiti reading “Clean hands dirty $”, prompting swift condemnation from officials and a renewed focus on recent incidents targeting national monuments. The arrest follows a day after the vandalism occurred, with authorities sharing images allegedly depicting the suspect near the damaged memorial.

Details of the Vandalism

The World War II Memorial was vandalized with soap and graffiti on Thursday, filling its fountain with bubbles and displaying the message “Clean hands dirty $” in red and green paint. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro shared photographs on social media appearing to show a woman holding a spray-paint can near the graffiti. Farris is scheduled to be arraigned Friday, though she had not yet been assigned legal counsel as of earlier that day.

Trump and Pirro’s Public Dispute

The charges against Farris come amid ongoing tension between President Trump and U.S. Attorney Pirro over the handling of vandalism cases at national monuments. Earlier this summer, Pirro dropped charges against several individuals accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a decision that drew sharp criticism from Trump. He had claimed the pool was deliberately vandalized following renovations he oversaw, but its condition deteriorated shortly after completion. Pirro initially stated her office had “tremendous evidence” in the case involving former Olympic athlete David Hearn, but later dropped the charges, citing insufficient information from the Interior Department and attributing the damage to faulty repairs.

Trump’s Reaction to Latest Incident

Following news of the World War II Memorial vandalism, Trump took to social media platform Truth Social to condemn the act and draw a connection to the Reflecting Pool case. “Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals,” he wrote. “First the Reflecting Pool, now this… We are on their trail!” He questioned the origins of those responsible for the damage, while also highlighting his administration’s focus on renovations to Washington D.C.’s landmarks and a recent deployment of the National Guard to address crime.

The Interior Department has pledged to identify those responsible for the vandalism at the World War II Memorial, with US Park Police continuing their investigation. The case adds to ongoing scrutiny surrounding incidents targeting national monuments and the responses from both law enforcement and political leaders.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.