Photo by wolfkann

Photo by wolfkann

A U.S. Park Police officer caught a man vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday and charged him with malicious destruction of property.

Police say 21-year old Nurtilek Bakirov, of the Kyrgyz Republic, used a penny to etch the letters “HYPT MAEK” into one of the monument’s pillars, according to a release.

Bakirov apologized multiple times and said he didn’t know that carving wasn’t allowed, according to a police report.

The vandalism comes about a month after someone spray painted a message that appeared to read “fuck law” at the site in August. The Lincoln Memorial is also one of several sites on the National Mall that was tagged with messages espousing conspiracy theories over President’s Day weekend.

Police say that they notified the Embassy of Kyrgyz Republic of Bakirov’s arrest. His federal charge carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

National Park Service spokesperson Nancy Murray said that the agency’s conservation team is assessing the damage “to determine a course of action.”

Filed Under: lincoln memorial, Nurtilek Bakirov, vandalism,