Sabrina ColeOct 25, 2026 4 min read

Man Arrested After Beheading Iwo Jima Statue With Sledgehammer

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada and Minnesota engulf the Washington, D.C. skyline, reducing visibility and casting a colored haze over the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial as the sun rises on July 17, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Authorities are continuing to monitor for unsafe conditions as air quality alerts are in effect across a vast portion of the United States. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial on July 17, 2026 in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images

A Virginia man has been arrested after police say he used a sledgehammer to knock the head off one of the Marines on the Iwo Jima statue in Quantico, causing damage estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford County, is being held without bond, according to the Prince William County Police Department.

Caught in the Act, Police Say

Officers were called to the statue near Richmond Highway and Fuller Road around 10:13 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of destruction of property. When they arrived, police say they found a man "actively damaging the structure" with a sledgehammer, FOX 5 DC reported. He was quickly detained at the scene.

Police car
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Police said the statue suffered extensive damage. One Marine's head was completely removed, another Marine was left with gouges across his helmet and face, and the bayonet on a third figure was damaged.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada and Minnesota engulf the Washington, D.C. skyline, reducing visibility and casting a colored haze over the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial as the sun rises on July 17, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Authorities are continuing to monitor for unsafe conditions as air quality alerts are in effect across a vast portion of the United States. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Maldonado Soriano is charged with felony destruction of property, trespassing with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument, NBC4 Washington reported. A court date has not been announced.

Police have not said what may have motivated the attack.

A Beloved Tribute to the Marines

The limestone statue stands near the entrance of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Base Quantico. It depicts one of the most famous moments of World War II: six U.S. servicemen raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945.

TRIANGLE, VA - FEBRUARY 19: An Iwo Jima veteran signs autograph on the famous WWII photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima shot by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal for Michael Scott of Altoona, Pennsylvania, at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima February 19, 2010 at the National Museum of Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. Iwo Jima veterans and their family members participated in the ceremony to honor those who fought in one of the most famous WWII battles. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
An Iwo Jima veteran signs an autograph on the famous WWII photograph “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” shot by photographer Joe Rosenthal. | Getty Images

The scene was captured in Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, which became one of the most recognizable images in American history.

1945: A crew member leads his shipmates in hymn singing and prayer aboard an American Navy LST ship on its way to Iwo Jima. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
A crew member leads his shipmates in hymn singing and prayer aboard an American Navy LST ship on its way to Iwo Jima. | Getty Images

Sculptor Felix de Weldon was so moved by the photo that he spent nine years carving the nine-foot limestone statue in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also created the much larger bronze Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, which honors all Marines who have given their lives for the country since 1775.

circa 1945: A US marine cemetery at the foot of Mount Suribachi in Iwo Jima. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
A U.S. marine cemetery at the foot of Mount Suribachi in Iwo Jima. | Getty Images

For many veterans and military families, the Quantico statue is a cherished landmark. The Battle of Iwo Jima was among the bloodiest in Marine Corps history, with nearly 7,000 Americans killed.

Reports on the Suspect's Immigration Status

Unnamed federal sources told Fox News that Maldonado Soriano is a Mexican national who entered the U.S. illegally in December 1999, when he would have been a young child, according to Potomac Local.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 5: Demonstrators march during a demonstration in response to the Trump Administration's announcement that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on September 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. DACA, an immigration policy passed by former President Barack Obama, allows certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as minors to receive renewable two-year deferred action from deportation and eligibility fork a work permit. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Demonstrators march during a demonstration in response to the Trump Administration's announcement that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. | Getty Images

According to those sources, he was granted protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, in 2014. That status was extended in 2024, but it lapsed in August when the Trump administration did not renew it. Police did not address his immigration status in their announcement.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 5: Demonstrators march during a demonstration in response to the Trump Administration's announcement that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on September 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. DACA, an immigration policy passed by former President Barack Obama, allows certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as minors to receive renewable two-year deferred action from deportation and eligibility fork a work permit. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Demonstrators march during a demonstration in response to the Trump Administration's announcement that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. | Getty Images

The White House quickly weighed in. "This criminal illegal alien's dream is over," spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News, adding that he "disrespected our brave service members." Rogers added that President Donald Trump "has secured our border and is deporting illegal criminals who hate our country and our values."

What Happens Next

Maldonado Soriano remains in custody without bond while he waits for his first court appearance. It is not yet known whether he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

ARLINGTON, VA - JULY 05: Fireworks celebrating America's 250th over Washington, DC are seen from behind the Marine Corps Memorial on July 5, 2026 in Arlington, VA. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
Fireworks celebrating America's 250th over Washington, DC are seen from behind the Marine Corps Memorial on July 5, 2026 in Arlington, VA. | Getty Images

There is also no word yet on how or when the statue will be repaired. It is not the first time the monument has needed work. In 2018, the hands holding the flag cracked during a windstorm, and the base paid $45,807 for a restoration, according to Potomac Local. This time, police estimate the damage will cost far more to fix.

The case is still under investigation, and police have not said whether more charges could be filed.

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