Man suspected of using sledgehammer to damage Iwo Jima statue in US illegally, Fox News reports | Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano (Prince William County Police)
QUANTICO, Va. - A 27-year-old man accused of using a sledgehammer to damage the Iwo Jima monument outside Marine Corps Base Quantico was granted bond Monday, according to court records.
Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano was granted bond in Prince William County Circuit Court, though officials said it was not immediately clear whether he had posted the required amount. He faces felony charges including destruction of property, trespassing with intent to damage property, and injury to a monument.
Officers responded around 10:13 p.m. Wednesday to the memorial near Richmond Highway and Fuller Road, where they discovered Maldonado Soriano actively damaging the structure, Prince William County Police said. He was quickly detained at the scene.
Damage to the limestone monument, which included the decapitation of one depicted service member along with extensive destruction to other parts of the sculpture, is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities said.
According to federal sources, Maldonado Soriano is a Mexican national who entered the country illegally in December 1999. He received temporary protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2014, with extensions granted through 2024, before losing his DACA status in August after it was not renewed.
The Quantico monument is a smaller limestone replica of the famed World War II Marine flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, sculpted by Felix de Weldon, who also designed the large bronze memorial in Arlington.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Prince William County Police and Prince William County Circuit Court.