Lincoln Memorial© Ted Eytan
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First it was the Lincoln Memorial, which was found to have green paint dribbled all over the base of the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, as well as one the figure’s limbs and in his lap. Next a statue on the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution Building, also known as Smithsonian Castle, had green paint splashed on it. Martin Luther Memorial Church was then discovered to have been similarly vandalized with paint. Finally a woman was arrested at the National Cathedral, but not before green paint was thrown all over its historic organ and the murals of the Children’s Chapel.
Jiamei Tian is only charged in connection with the incident at the National Cathedral, which she was discovered to have the paint on her hands and clothing, and a container of paint in her bag. More charges are expected in connection with the defacement of the other landmarks as investigators continue to pursue proof to back up the assortment of circumstantial evidence that appears to connect the woman to the other sites. All of the landmarks were defaced within a few days of each other.
Meanwhile crews of conservators and technicians are hard at work attempting to deal with the damage to these important landmarks and painstakingly remove the paint without harming the original finishes. The damage at has been valued at tens of thousands of dollars per site.
No motive for these acts of vandalism has been uncovered to date. Find out more about this on MSNBC