Washington Monument in DC vandalized with red paint, Indiana man charged
BALTIMORE -- An Indiana man is accused of vandalizing the base of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. with red paint overnight, United States Park Police said.
Shaun Ray Deaton, a 44-year-old from Bloomington, Ind., is charged with trespassing, tampering and vandalism.
Deaton is accused of splashing red paint and writing a profane message on the monument, police said.
Construction started in 1848, using Texas marble from Thomas Symington's Beaver Dam quarry in Baltimore County. After funding issues and other days, the project halted at 1856, with the monument standing at 176 feet.
Following the outbreak of the Civil War and the ensuing Reconstruction period, funding was appropriated to complete the monument in 1876, the country's centennial.
Construction resumed and marble was then sourced from Hugh Sisson, who owned a nearby quarry in Baltimore County.
The obelisk was dedicated in 1885, and is named for George Washington, the country's first president.
Police said National Park Service Conservators have begun the work to remove the paint.
