WOMAN DUE IN U.S. COURT FOR DEFACING THE U.S.A. NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

WOMAN DUE IN U.S. COURT FOR DEFACING THE U.S.A. NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

August 2, 2013

(Reuters) - A woman accused of dumping green paint on parts of the National Cathedral was scheduled to appear in a Washington court on Friday for a preliminary hearing on charges of destroying property.

Jia M. Tian, 58, is accused of splashing green paint on a pipe organ and on woodwork in two chapels at the cathedral. She is charged with destruction of property and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Police were still investigating whether she was involved in similar acts of vandalism at Washington monuments last week. Green paint was also splashed onto the Lincoln Memorial and used to paint symbols onto a statue outside the Smithsonian Institution.

Tian, who carried a Chinese passport and was traveling on an expired visa, has been jailed since her arrest on Monday. She is scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court before Judge Fredrick Sullivan at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Nick Zieminski)