Cape man charged with New Year's Eve property damage pleads guilty

Editor's note: The first sentence of this story has been updated to reflect the correct plea information.

A Cape Girardeau man pleaded guilty Friday to damaging a vehicle with sandpaper.

Darrell Nice was originally charged with first-degree property damage and property damage motivated by discrimination, after the home of Frank and Sylvia Ellis was vandalized Jan. 1.

Friday during a pretrial conference, he pleaded guilty to first-degree property damage. He will be sentenced Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. at the Perry County Courthouse and potentially faces one to four years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000.

The victims' home on Alpine Drive was spray painted on the front near the garage door and the front door. An investigator reported seeing the words "La Voca," "XVIII" and "Chicano Power" near and on the garage door. A skull and crossbones were 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 were painted on a glass door in the back of home with the words "Death to You" painted on the left side of the door.

The incident occurred after Frank Ellis asked neighbors at a home on Greenbriar Drive to turn down the music at a New Year's Eve party Nice was attending. The neighbors complied after police were called to the home.

Nice was arrested after police matched the tread on his tennis shoes to the footprints around the house and vehicle, according to court records.

Pertinent address:

Alpine Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO