Prince William County police say officers arrested a Stafford man late Wednesday night after finding him actively damaging the Iwo Jima statue near Richmond Highway and Fuller Road in Quantico, Virginia, with a sledgehammer, Potomac Local reported on Thursday, publishing the police department's account of the arrest.
Police said officers responded to the statue, in the area of Richmond Highway and Fuller Road in Quantico (22134), at about 10:13 p.m. on October 21 to investigate destruction of property. Arriving officers located a man actively damaging the statue with a sledgehammer and quickly detained him without incident, according to the Prince William County Police Department release published by Potomac Local.
Source: Prince William County Police Department release, as published by Potomac Local, Oct. 22, 2026
Felony destruction of property; trespass with intent to damage property; and felony injury to a monument. The charges are allegations and the case is pending in court.
The accused was identified by police as Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford. Police estimate the damage to the statue — which included the removal of one of the depicted soldier's head, in addition to other damage — in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Source: Prince William County Police Department release, as published by Potomac Local, Oct. 22, 2026
Following the investigation, Maldonado Soriano was arrested and is being held without bond, police said. His court date is listed as pending. Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline.