Woman Who Vandalized Lincoln Memorial Appears In Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman charged with defacing the Washington National Cathedral with green paint is due in court.

Jiamei Tian faces a preliminary hearing in D.C. Superior Court on Friday.

The 58-year-old has been charged with damaging two chapels of the cathedral with a soda can of green paint on Monday. A judge ordered her jailed pending her appearance, with prosecutors calling her a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Police and prosecutors also believe she's connected to several acts of similar vandalism, including at the Lincoln Memorial, a church and at a Smithsonian statue.

Authorities haven't revealed a motive. They say Tian has a Chinese passport and that she was traveling in Washington on an expired visa.

The hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. before Judge Frederick Sullivan.