World · North America · 15 hrs ago
Man charged after Iwo Jima statue is damaged at Quantico
Prince William County police say a 27-year-old man was caught damaging an Iwo Jima statue near Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
Officers responded around 10 p.m.
Wednesday and detained Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, who police say was using a sledgehammer.
One figure’s head was removed, while another had damage to its helmet and face and a third lost a bayonet.
The statue is a small-scale replica of the Marine Corps War Memorial, which commemorates the World War II battle of Iwo Jima.
Police estimate the damage will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.
Soriano faces charges including felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument.
He is being held without bond as the investigation continues, and it is not clear whether the Marine Corps base has plans to restore the statue.
A 27-year-old man was arrested after allegedly damaging an Iwo Jima statue outside Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
Prince William County police said officers found Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano using a sledgehammer on the statue.
The damage included a figure with its head removed, gouges to another figure and a missing bayonet from a third.
Police estimated the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.
Soriano was charged with felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument.
- Who
- Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, was arrested and charged.
- What
- He is accused of damaging an Iwo Jima statue with a sledgehammer.
- When
- Wednesday, around 10 p.m.
- Where
- Near Richmond Highway, outside Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
- Why
- Not stated.
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Police responded to a report of property destruction near Richmond Highway outside Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Officers found Soriano allegedly damaging the statue with a sledgehammer and detained him.
- Accused
- Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27
- Location
- Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia
- Damage
- One figure’s head was removed; other figures had gouges and a missing bayonet
- Estimated repair cost
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Charges
- Felony destruction of property; trespass with intent to damage property; felony injury to a monument
3 sources
What people are saying
Arriving officers located a man, later identified as the accused, actively damaging the statue with a sledgehammer. Officers quickly detained the accused without incident
Damage to the statue, which included the removal of one of the depicted soldier’s head in addition to other damage, is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars