Vulgar Message Scrawled on Washington Monument

A man is in custody after the base of the Washington Monument was vandalized with bright red paint late Tuesday, according to US Park Police. Photos obtained by WTTG show a thick vertical line of paint next to scrawled words forming what ABC News describes as "an obscene message." (See it here.) Police did not identify the individual arrested but said he would face trespassing, tampering, and vandalism charges. National Parks Service rep Mike Litterst said it could take up to three weeks for the vandalism to disappear as "paint on marble is very difficult to remove." A section at the base of the 555-foot-tall monument will be temporarily closed while conservators work at restoring the surface, police said, per the Washington Post. (More Washington Monument stories.)