Man accused of smashing Iwo Jima statue near Quantico granted bond

Right · 2A circuit court judge granted bond on Monday 26 October to Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, who is accused of destroying the Iwo Jima statue in Quantico, Virginia, with a sledgehammer. 1 2 Right · 2Police officers responded at about 10:13 p.m. on 21 October and allegedly found him striking the monument with a sledgehammer; he was arrested that night. 2 1 Right · 2One Marine figure was decapitated, and Fox News reports that other figures raising the flag were also damaged; police estimate repairs would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 1 2

Right · 2He is charged with felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument. 1 2 Right · 1According to NBC4, as relayed by the Washington Examiner, a detective told the court he showed signs of mental health issues, and he was ordered onto GPS monitoring; the preliminary hearing is set for January. 1 Right · 2The Washington Examiner, citing NBC4, says Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer because he is not a green card holder, though he has lived in Stafford County since age 1; Fox News says its federal sources describe him as a Mexican who crossed illegally in December 1999, received DACA in 2014, was extended in 2024, and lost the status when it expired in August 2026 unrenewed. 1 2

Right · 2The 9-foot limestone statue depicts the 1945 flag-raising on Mount Suribachi and was sculpted by Felix de Weldon, who later created the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington. The Washington Examiner said it had asked ICE, DHS and the Prince William Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for comment. 2 1