Chinese woman charged with vandalism in Washington  

一持中國護照女子涉嫌在華盛頓景點潑漆被起訴

A photo taken on July 28, 2013 shows green paint splattered on the Lincoln Memorial two days before. [Photo: CNS/ Wu Qingcai]

Washington (CNS) -- A Chinese woman was arrested Tuesday for vandalism at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC, and is expected to be charged with destruction of property.

Gwendolyn Crump, spokeswoman for the local police department, said they arrested Jiamei Tian, 58, on suspicion of splattering green paint at the cathedral.

The Washington Post cited charging documents that Tian has a Chinese passport and refused to say more to police, except that she lives in Los Angeles.

Tian was found in a bathroom at the Cathedral with green paint on her boot(s), and a can of green paint was also found in a nearby rubbish bin, according to the documents.

Cathedral officials discovered wet paint strewn over the Bethlehem Chapel's organ console and casework on Monday afternoon. They later discovered that the Children's Chapel, in the nave, had also been splashed with green paint.

The arrest follows other similar acts of vandalism: Green paint was found splattered on the Lincoln Memorial early Friday morning; and across from the Smithsonian Castle, a statue of Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was defaced with green paint Monday, the same day the Martin Luther statue at Luther Place Memorial Church was vandalized.

The head of the local police department said they were still trying to determine whether the acts were connected.

Tian doesn't speak English and might have "psychological problems," police said.