The latest Reflecting Pool damage charges have added three more names to a growing list of people accused of harming the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the iconic landmark that recently underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration. The arrests deepen an ongoing saga that has drawn national attention and repeated public claims from the president himself.

What the Officers Say Happened

Authorities detained Cameron Thiers, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Justin Carreno on a Saturday afternoon in June, according to court documents. Officers described watching the three peel and remove pieces of blue paint from the Reflecting Pool.

The court filings lay out specific accounts for each person:

• One officer reported seeing Carreno reach into the pool and pull up a piece of the blue paint.
• The officer who detained Dennison-Gibby said he recovered an additional piece of the pool’s liner tucked inside her purse.
• Thiers reportedly admitted to removing a piece of blue sealant and was still holding it when an officer approached him.

Officers said all three encounters were captured on body-worn cameras. A notably broad coalition of law enforcement was involved: US Park Police worked alongside partnering agencies assigned to the Reflecting Pool, including officers who had come from Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, and California.

In Court

The three defendants were arraigned on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of destruction of property valued at less than $1,000. The judge ordered all of them to stay away from the Reflecting Pool.

If convicted, each could face a fine of up to $1,000 and as many as 180 days in jail. Lawyers for Thiers and Dennison-Gibby declined to comment.

A Larger Controversy

The arrests unfold against a backdrop of political claims and unanswered questions. President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that vandals inflicted major damage on the pool by gashing its lining, this after his administration spent more than $14 million on renovations. He has not offered evidence to back that assertion.

Importantly, the officers who charged Carreno, Thiers, and Dennison-Gibby did not accuse any of them of gashing the lining, a distinction that separates these misdemeanor cases from the more serious allegations the president has described.

A More Serious Case

These three are not the only people facing legal consequences. Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, DC, last week over alleged damage to the Reflecting Pool.

Unlike the trio charged with misdemeanors, Hearn faces a far heavier charge: destruction of property valued at more than $1,000, which carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if he is convicted. His arraignment was set for Thursday.

A Landmark Plagued by Problems

The legal drama coincides with mounting physical troubles at the site. Crews began draining the Reflecting Pool over the weekend to carry out repairs, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, marking the second such draining in just three months.

The move followed weeks of persistent issues, including algae blooms, green-tinted water, and a chipping bottom, on top of the administration’s vandalism allegations. Together, these problems have turned the famous landmark’s struggles into a subject of national interest.