Man accused of beheading Marine statue near Quantico granted bond

TRIANGLE, Va. — A man accused of using a sledgehammer to knock the head off a Marine figure in a historic Iwo Jima sculpture near Marine Corps Base Quantico has been granted bond, according to Fox News.

Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, appeared Monday, Oct. 26, in Prince William County Circuit Court. He faces charges of felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property and felony injury to a monument.

He had been held without bond since his arrest. The report did not specify the bond amount or conditions, and another court date had not been announced.

Prince William County police said officers responded to the monument about 10:13 p.m. Oct. 21 and found Maldonado Soriano striking the limestone sculpture with a sledgehammer. Officers detained him without incident.

The attack severed the head of one Marine figure and damaged others in the sculpture depicting the American flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Authorities estimated restoration could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

No motive has been publicly disclosed.

The 9-foot sculpture was created by Felix de Weldon, who later sculpted the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington. Museum director Keil Gentry said restoring the damaged work is “likely to be challenging.”

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation launched a fundraising campaign Oct. 23 to help pay for the restoration.

Federal sources told Fox News that Maldonado Soriano is a Mexican national who entered the United States in December 1999. According to those sources, he received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2014, and that protection was renewed in 2024.

The sources said his DACA protection expired in August 2026 after it was not renewed. DACA provides temporary protection from deportation to certain immigrants brought to the United States as children; it does not confer permanent legal status.

The criminal charges remain allegations. Granting bond allows a defendant to await further proceedings outside custody if release requirements are met; it does not resolve the case.