Washington Monument vandalized with paint; US Parks Police arrest man
A man has been arrested after the Washington Monument was vandalized with red paint on Tuesday night, according to US Park Police.
A man allegedly used paint to vandalize the exterior base of the 555-foot-tall marble monument located in Washington’s National Mall around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sgt. Thomas Twiname told USA TODAY. Twiname did not identify the suspect.
“National Park Service conservators have begun the process of restoring the monument,” Twiname said Wednesday.
After:Wanted Indiana man arrested after hours of searching city’s sewer system
The National Park Service began the process of restoring the monument “at first light,” the service tweeted Wednesday morning.
“The top layer of paint is peeling off and the pigment that has seeped into the stone will be treated with many rounds of cleaner applications,” the NPS tweeted alongside. photos of a monument cleaning team.
The NPS added: “A week of sunshine will also help restore the monument to its usual impressive state. Thanks to our team of experts for their hard work.”
The area around the base of the monument has been temporarily closed, the US Park Police tweeted Tuesday evening. The restoration process is not expected to impact Wednesday visits to the monument, Twiname said.
USA Today
