Iwo Jima Statue Decapitated in Quantico
In Quantico, Virginia, a 27-year-old man has been accused of violently damaging a Marine statue on an Iwo Jima monument. This incident occurred near the Marine Corps Base, and the man was granted bond earlier this week.
Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, the individual charged, was given bond during a hearing at the Prince William County Circuit Court. His next court appearance is anticipated in the near future.
Maldonado Soriano, a Mexican national who entered the U.S. illegally and previously maintained DACA status, faces charges for felony destruction of property, as well as trespass with intent to damage property, and felony injury to a monument.
He was arrested last week after allegedly using a sledgehammer to vandalize the monument, which commemorates World War II. At around 10:13 p.m. on October 21, local police discovered him in the act of striking the statue.
The damage to the property was severe, with extensive destruction noted, including the complete decapitation of one of the Marine figures. Additional figures, representing the American flag being raised during the historic Battle of Iwo Jima, were also harmed. Repairs are expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Reports have indicated that Maldonado Soriano entered the U.S. illegally back in 1999 and was granted DACA protection under the Obama administration in 2014; however, this was later renewed under the Biden administration before expiring in 2026 when it wasn’t renewed during the Trump era.
The monument itself is a 9-foot limestone statue that triumphantly depicts the iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, an emblematic moment from the 1945 battle. This statue was sculpted by Felix de Weldon, who also created the renowned Marine Corps War Memorial located in Arlington, Virginia.
