Woman charged in green-paint incident linked to Lincoln Memorial vandalism is held without bail
A woman traveling on a Chinese passport with an expired visa is being held without bail after being charged with splattering green paint onto an organ and decorative woodwork at the Washington National Cathedral.
Jiamei Tian, 58, is also linked to four other incidents of vandalism, authorities say, including last week’s splattering of green paint at the Lincoln Memorial, reports the Associated Press.
Her lawyer argued that she could simply be turned over to immigration authorities, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Chambers said prosecution is appropriate and contended Tian was a flight risk and a danger to the community if she was released on bail.
She was arrested Monday at the Cathedral, shortly after the still-wet paint was discovered. A police officer said she was holding a soda can of green paint at the time and had green paint on her face, clothes and other parts of her body.
Cleanup efforts at the Lincoln Memorial and the cathedral, among other sites, are ongoing. A spokeswoman says the National Park Service is reevaluating security at the memorial, reports WUSA.
