The Washington Monument was vandalized with red paint and is currently closed down while the National Park Service works to restore the statue.
An unnamed man has been taken into police custody after the Washington Monument was vandalized on Tuesday.
The monument was vandalized with red paint
People who saw the vandalized statue, after the crime had already happened, took to Twitter to post photos of the west side of the monument’s base smeared in red paint.
NBC News reported that the United States Park Police said on Twitter that the suspect was in police custody without any information on whether or not he will face charges.
The “area around base of the Washington Monument temporarily closed. USPP have an adult male in custody for vandalism. NPS conservators will work on restoration process,” the USPP said.
Why the National Parks Service is taking over
The National Park Service gained authority over the statue in 1933. The first restoration project of the monument began during the Depression Era in 1934.
The monument has received many restoration projects since its creation and those projects have taken place in 1964, 1998 to 2001 and 2011 to 2014, when an earthquake caused major damage to the structure.
The most recent restoration project on the monument was from 2016 to 2019 to modernize the elevator so visitors can efficiently go inside and tour it from the top floor.
Reuters reported that the monument is 550 feet tall and is a popular spot for visitors in Washington, D.C. More than 800,000 people visit the monument each year, according to The District.