Suspect Arrested After Vandalizing Iwo Jima Monument in Quantico
A Virginia man faces felony charges after using a sledgehammer to damage the Iwo Jima memorial at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Read the latest updates.
POLICY WIRE — Quantico, Virginia — A significant act of vandalism occurred Wednesday evening at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where a man was apprehended while using a sledgehammer to destroy a historic monument.
Prince William County Police arrived at the scene at approximately 10:31 p.m. following reports of property destruction. Officers discovered the suspect, identified as Maldonado Soriano of Stafford, Virginia, in the act of damaging the statue and took him into custody without further incident.
Soriano currently faces multiple charges, including felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage, and felony injury to a monument. He is being detained without bond as he awaits his upcoming court appearance.
The damaged structure, situated roughly 36 miles south of Washington, D.C., is a limestone replica of the famous Marine Corps War Memorial. It commemorates the historic February 23, 1945, photograph by Joe Rosenthal, which captured six U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II.
Sculptor Felix de Weldon created this limestone version in 1945 shortly after seeing the iconic image. While the larger 60-foot bronze memorial in Arlington was not finished until 1954, the Quantico replica has served as a significant historical landmark for decades.
Authorities have not yet provided a motive for the destruction, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Officials continue to investigate the incident.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
