Bond set for man who beheaded Iwo Jima statue near Quantico

Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano was granted bond Monday morning in Prince William County Circuit Court. He is 27 years old and faces charges including felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property, and felony injury to a monument.

Police officers from the Prince William County Police Department arrived at the scene at 10:13 p.m. on Oct. 21. They found Soriano striking a World War II monument near Marine Corps Base Quantico with a sledgehammer. Authorities said the limestone sculpture suffered extensive damage during the incident.

The 9-foot statue depicts the flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima. Sculptor Felix de Weldon created the piece, which he also designed for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The head of one Marine figure was completely removed, and other figures depicting the flag raising were damaged. Police estimate repair costs will reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Federal sources noted that Soriano crossed into the United States from Mexico in December 1999. He received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status in 2014 under the Obama administration. That status was extended in 2024 under the Biden administration before expiring in August 2026 without renewal under the Trump administration.

Soriano was arrested following the incident. His next court date has not yet been set, though officials expect it to be scheduled soon.