Suspected National Cathedral Vandal Ruled Unfit for Trial

Jaimei Tian, the woman accused of vandalizing the Washington National Cathedral with green paint in July, was deemed incompetent to stand trial in DC court yesterday.

Court records state that a judge ruled Tian unfit to stand trial after an evaluation by a psychologist. Since her arrest, Tian, a Chinese national, has been at St. Elizabeths Hospital, the District’s mental health facility.

Tian was ordered to return to St. Elizabeths for “inpatient competency restoration” ahead of her next hearing on December 3.

She is also suspected of vandalizing other landmarks with green paint, including the Lincoln Memorial.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.