The Lincoln Memorial in D.C. was vandalized with green paint. (Photo credit: U.S. Park Police Department)

WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — U.S. Park Police say green paint splattered on the Lincoln Memorial early Friday morning is an act of vandalism and that the crime was captured on camera.

A visitor alerted authorities to the mess shortly after discovering it around 1:30 a.m.

Police say the vandalism occurred not long before they were notified.

The paint was splashed on the foot, left leg, chair and abdominal area of the statue. Park police say no words, letters or other symbols were visible in the splatter.

PHOTOS: Vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial

The memorial, located on the National Mall, will remain closed until further notice.

Crews arrived to begin removing the paint around 8:30 a.m. Officials are expected to reopen the landmark sometime Friday after the cleanup process has been completed.

The National Park Service is optimistic crews will be able to fully restore the memorial to its original state and say the damage is not permanent.

Investigators are hoping footage from security cameras at the memorial will help to identify the person or persons responsible.

More than 3 million people visit the Lincoln Memorial each year.

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WNEW’s John Domen contributed to this report. Follow him and WNEW on Twitter.