{"id":6234,"date":"2026-07-02T21:01:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T21:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6234"},"modified":"2026-07-02T21:01:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T21:01:31","slug":"former-olympian-indicted-for-felony-vandalism-at-dc-reflecting-pool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6234","title":{"rendered":"Former Olympian indicted for felony vandalism at DC Reflecting Pool"},"content":{"rendered":"<div> <!-- --> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>WASHINGTON<\/strong> &#8211; <\/span>A former U.S. Olympic athlete has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a felony charge of destruction of property following an incident at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool last month, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6232\">Flesh-eating screwworm outbreak escalates in West Texas as confirmed cases reach 31<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What we know:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist, is accused of deliberately tearing up a section of the pool\u2019s newly installed sealant on June 19. According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Hearn caused roughly two feet of damage to the national monument.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>What they&#8217;re saying:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Hearn has denied wrongdoing, previously telling The Washington Post that he merely picked up a loose piece of the pool\u2019s liner that was already floating in the water.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>However, prosecutors claim they have an ironclad case.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t charge anything harshly, I charge according to the evidence,&#8221; Pirro said in a statement. &#8220;We have witnesses\u2014the defendant on record saying things that are not true, and witnesses with no motive to lie\u2026witnessing damage to a national monument.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to go forward,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This is a case with tremendous evidence and this is a case where the evidence dictates where we land.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: Water begins flowing into Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after renovations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6229\">AMBER Alert issued for 11-month-old in West Texas<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>The incident follows a controversial $15 million spring renovation project in which the historic pool was drained and resealed with a new liner. Shortly after it was refilled, reports, photos and videos surfaced showing pieces of the blue sealant peeling away on its own.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: Reflecting Pool looks &#8216;like vomit,&#8217; visitors say; crews continue cleaning job<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s office noted that Hearn&#8217;s case is not isolated; authorities are currently investigating six other related vandalism cases at the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s next:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Fencing has already been erected around the Reflecting Pool ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, according to FOX 5 D.C. reporting. The National Park Service is scheduled to drain the pool and begin repairs once the holiday weekend concludes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6226\">Maria Rodriguez disappearance: Erik Fardell Arceneaux found guilty of Houston woman\u2019s 2018 murder<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --> <!-- --> <!-- --> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, has been indicted on a felony charge for allegedly tearing up sealant at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 19.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-news","category-washington-d-c"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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