U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced on Friday the arrest of a suspect who allegedly vandalized the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Investigation Launched After WWII Memorial Defaced In Nation’s Capital

"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," Pirro said.

"This morning, we are filing two felony charges, Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans' 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," she continued.

ABC News shared further:

According to ABC affiliate WJLA, U.S. Park Police launched an investigation on Thursday after red paint was dumped onto the walls and floor of the Atlantic pavilion, and a substance poured into the fountain caused it to bubble.

A witness photographed a woman authorities later identified as Farris in the apparent act of spray painting the WWII Memorial on Thursday before Farris fled, according to the statement of facts filed in federal court.

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When the witness passed the images on to law enforcement, a U.S. Park Police officer recognized Farris as someone they had arrested on Aug. 10 -- just a few days prior -- for unlawfully camping on federal property a few blocks from the WWII Memorial, according to the complaint.

"This is suspect Melissa Farris as seen in videos she posted on Facebook. And the announcement she’s been charged with two felonies by @USAttyPirro The very latest on the WWII Memorial vandalism," FOX 5 DC reporter Bob Barnard wrote.

Watch below:

NBC News has more:

The suspect appears to have livestreamed the incident on Facebook in an account under her name.

A video posted to Facebook that went live around 2 p.m. ET on Thursday shows a woman shaking a can of spray paint and then spray painting the memorial.

“It was me, I’m doing it, I did it, it’s on camera,” the woman, who authorities identified as Farris, said in the Thursday livestream.

Another livestream posted on Friday morning appears to show the woman identified as Farris turning herself in.

Law enforcement responded to a call of a disorderly person on Thursday, after which a U.S. Park Ranger observed the woman later identified as Farris flee the area, U.S. Park Police Detective Christopher Edmund wrote in an affidavit. The affidavit said a U.S. Park Police officer then recognized the suspect as someone they arrested for unlawfully camping on federal property on August 10. Farris had a Kentucky driver’s license when she was arrested on the camping charge on August 10, the affidavit said.

The arrest comes after Pirro’s office made the call to drop a case against former Olympic canoeist David “Davey” Hearn in connection with an incident at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a decision that drew President Donald Trump’s ire.

Pirro’s office said that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was “the result of flawed installation.” A judge dismissed the charge against Hearn but had not yet decided whether to ban Pirro’s office from bringing charges against Hearn in the future.

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