An Indiana man was taken into custody after the Washington Monument was vandalized with red paint late Tuesday, authorities said.
Shaun Ray Deaton, 44, of Bloomington, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on charges of trespassing, tampering and vandalism, the National Park Service said in a statement.
"This is an initial criminal charge and, as the investigation continues, there may be additional charges," the agency said.
A motive was not disclosed.
The area around base of the monument was temporarily closed as the park service conservators looked to restore the statue.
The base of the monument was smeared with a splash of red paint, accompanied by the words: "Have you been f----- by this ... Gov says tough s---."
The park service was given jurisdiction over the monument in 1933, with the first restoration of the structure beginning as a Depression Era public works project in 1934.
Additional restoration work took place in 1964, as well as from 1998 to 2001 and from 2011 to 2014 to repair damage after an earthquake. It also had restoration work from 2016 to 2019 to modernize its elevator.
