Isabella Giordano, a 20-year-old from Towson, Maryland, faces federal charges for allegedly vandalizing government property in Washington, D.C., during a protest last July—the U.S. Department of Justice reports that she was arrested Thursday morning following accusations of defacing Columbus Circle at Union Station. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP), sourced from a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

Detailed in the federal complaint, it's alleged that Giordano spray-painted the term “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain and defaced the base of flagpoles, court documents describe, during a demonstration authorized by a permit; demonstrators reportedly pulled down flags, burned objects, tagged statues and structures with graffiti, and hindered law enforcement efforts to apprehend individuals. Giordano is expected to have her initial court appearance on the same day of her arrest, charged with willfully injuring federal property, a crime that U.S. Attorney Graves remarked that politically motivated violence and destruction will meet with full force of law prosecution, and that more charges are likely for others involved in the July 24 events.

Tips from the public led to Giordano's identification after the USPP and FBI issued bulletins displaying photos of suspects sought in connection to the summer incident. Open-source video footage, which was key in the investigation, depicted Giordano using red spray paint in the act, the basis for the federal complaint against her. Authorities continue to seek assistance from the public in bringing additional suspects to justice, as per the statements in the Department of Justice release.

The National Park Service has estimated damages amounting to approximately $11,282.23, reflecting the costs of cleanup and repairs for the spray paint damage on federal government-owned flags, statues, and structures at Columbus Circle. The case, with specific charges against Giordano for destruction of property on federal lands, is being handled by the USPP's Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin taking the lead in the prosecution. All defendants, like Giordano, are presumed innocent until proven guilty within the judicial system, a core tenet reiterated in the official DOJ statement.