Kentucky woman indicted for vandalizing WWII Memorial with bubble soap and red graffiti

A Kentucky woman, Melissa Farris, 41, was indicted on two federal counts for vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.—pouring bubble soap into the fountain and painting red graffiti; each count carries up to 10 years in prison. A Sept. 3, 2026 hearing is scheduled; prosecutors say more than $1,000 in damages occurred, and she posted videos boasting of the act while referencing a whistleblower case, amid a summer of vandalism on the National Mall.