Federal authorities arrested a Maryland woman Friday and charged her with defacing a monument near the Capitol during the pro-Palestinian rally protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in July.
According to court documents, Isabella Giordano, 20, was caught on video as she sprayed red and white paint on a statue and other fixtures at Columbus Circle, a National Park Service monument that stands between Union Station and the Capitol.
She is one of five people the FBI is seeking in connection with the mayhem of the day, which saw protesters scrawl pro-Hamas messages on the monuments.
They did more than $11,000 worth of damage, according to the Park Service, which manages that stretch of property.
No lawyer was listed for Ms. Giordano.
The protest has drawn scrutiny over what critics say was an unruly crowd and an ill-prepared Park Service. Protesters tore down the American flags that are part of the monument, replacing them with Palestinian banners. Some protesters also attacked police officers who were trying to restore order.
Images from a Park Service video show a woman with a red shirt and her hair in a ponytail spraying the word “GAZA” on a statue. Other images show the same woman spraying light poles, though by then, the top of her hair was covered with a kaffiyeh-style cloth. Investigators said her clothing and ponytail made clear it was the same woman.
Authorities identified Ms. Giordano, a Towson resident, after releasing images to the public.
One tipster identified her as an employee of a day care center in Towson. Another identified her based on a tattoo visible on her arm.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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