Share and Follow
Inset: A man identified as Lucas Reisinger (National Park Service/Instagram). Background: Little Round Top in Gettysburg National Military Park (National Park Service).
A man from Pennsylvania has been taken into custody after being accused of vandalizing two war memorials at the Gettysburg National Military Park, as reported by authorities.
Lucas J. Reisinger, aged 36, is facing charges of two counts of damaging veterans’ memorials, according to an indictment that was submitted in a federal court in Pennsylvania at the end of last month.
The alleged acts of vandalism took place on September 14, 2025. The indictment claims that Reisinger damaged “a bronze plaque located on the observation deck level of the 44th New York Infantry Monument” as well as “a bronze bas-relief of Colonel Patrick O’Rorke on the monument dedicated to the 140th New York Infantry Regiment.”
A federal judge issued a warrant for Reisinger’s arrest on February 18, coinciding with the grand jury’s indictment. On March 6, National Park Service rangers, working alongside the Carlisle Police Department, apprehended the defendant, as stated in a press release.
Details from the court documents are limited at this time, but the announcement of the arrest provides some insight into the allegations against Reisinger.
On the day the installations were damaged, rangers received a report about a man “using a knife to carve his initials into a monument,” according to the press release. Authorities say the vandalism reportedly occurred at Little Round Top, a large, rock-covered hill overlooking the southern edge of the famed Gettysburg battlefield.
The ensuing investigation determined the initials “LJR” had been carved into both the plaque and the face of O’Rorke’s relief portrait.
The damage to both monuments was substantial, authorities say.
“Each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1369 carries a maximum penalty of $250,000 and up to 10 years in federal prison,” the press release goes on. “The National Park Service will also seek full restitution, estimated at more than $11,000, for the damaged monuments.”
In the aftermath of the graffiti, the park itself released an image of the man believed to be responsible – a photo taken by another visitor.
“The individual who took the picture could hear the scratching, the scraping taking place before they could see the individual doing the damage,” a spokesperson for the National Park Service told York-based Fox affiliate WPMT.
After Reisinger was arrested this week, the indictment was unsealed.
On Monday, the defendant was appointed a federal public defender, according to court records. Reisinger pleaded not guilty.
Also on Monday, the defendant appeared before Chief Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom and was granted pretrial release.
Under the terms of his release, he is not allowed to possess a firearm, drink excessive alcohol, or use CBD products, and must submit to drug testing. His travel is also limited to the Middle District of Pennsylvania and he must abide by a strict curfew.
A jury trial in the case is currently scheduled to begin on May 4 and will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, whom President Donald Trump appointed during his first term.