Cape Girardeau man makes first court appearance on charges from New Year's Eve vandalism

A 49-year-old Cape Girardeau man arrested on suspicion of damaging a local couple's home with spray paint and vehicle with sandpaper was arrested Saturday after police matched the sole of his shoe with a footprint in the victim's flower bed, according to court documents.

Darrell Nice is charged with first-degree property damage. He made his first court appearance Monday, when Associate Circuit Court Judge Gary A. Kamp read the defendant the charges against him.

According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by officer Aaron Harris, the victims' home on Alpine Drive was spray painted on the front near the garage door and the front door. Harris saw the words "La Voca," "XVIII" and "Chicano Power" near and on the garage door. A skull and crossbones was painted on the concrete in front of the main entrance to the home. In addition, profanity was spray painted and scratched into the victims' vehicle and another skull and crossbones was painted on a glass door in the back of home with the words "Death to You" painted on the left side of the door.

Harris said the victims recalled asking their neighbors on Greenbrier Drive to turn down loud music. They only complied when the police were called to the home about 1 a.m. Saturday.

Officers interviewed neighbors, who said they'd spent the evening with Nice and his wife, who were later questioned by Harris. After police discovered footprints in the victims' flower bed and underneath their porch, they asked to see the Nice family's shoes.

The tread pattern of Darrell Nice's tennis shoes matched the footprints around the victims' home, according to the probable-cause statement. Officers searched Nice's home and the clothes he had worn New Year's Eve and found a piece of sandpaper with paint on it in a jeans pocket.

When questioned by police and asked to explain the evidence against him Nice admitted to damaging the vehicle but didn't recall using spray paint on the home or the car, according to Harris' affidavit.

No new court date has been set, according to Missouri Case.net, although Nice's attorney, Malcolm Montgomery, filed a request for change of judge in his client's case.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent Address:

215 Alpine Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO