A 26-year-old man is facing charges after police say he vandalized the Eternal Flame at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center over the weekend.

Officers with the Atlanta Police Department say they responded to the site on Auburn Avenue around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday after receiving a report of vandalism. 

At the King Center, they met with security, who told the officer that they saw a man "urinating in the reflecting pool and stomping on the Eternal Flame, causing significant damage," authorities reported.

Investigators identified the man as 26-year-old Brent Jones. He was taken into custody shortly after.

Officers charged Jones with criminal damage to property in the second degree, criminal trespass, public indecency, and obstruction of law enforcement. As of Monday, he is in custody at the Fulton County Jail.

King Center responds to alleged vandalism

According to the King Center's website, the Eternal Flame sits near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's crypt and symbolizes the effort to realize King's dream of a world of justice, peace, and equality.

While the center is inside the boundaries of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park, officials say it will remain open during the government shutdown.

In a statement, the King Center said the alleged vandalism would not lead to any part of its grounds closing to visitors.

"The Eternal Flame still burns with love, and we continue to welcome everyone with open arms and gratitude for the incredible support of our beloved community," the King Center said. "The dream lives on."