GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man pled guilty to vandalizing a new location of a Grand Rapids area restaurant.
Just before 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 21, two doors and six windows were shattered at the Candied Yam on Division Avenue.
Darda Lee Brooks was charged with malicious destruction of property for an amount over $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. He pleaded guilty on Monday.
A witness told police she saw Brooks smashing the windows of the restaurant. Police soon found Brooks walking in the area and detained him. The witness confirmed to police he was the man she had seen.
Police also watched surveillance footage that showed Brooks throwing a brick through the windows of the restaurant. During interviews, police said he admitted to the crime.
He will be sentenced on Dec. 2.
The Candied Yam has been open on 44th Street SE for seven years. They offer hearty from-scratch meals, as well as employment opportunities for the most vulnerable.
They expanded to the second location with help from a $2.1 million investment from the Muller family, who own Ben Muller Realty Co., back in June.
Owner Jessica Ann Tyson was asked to take over the "eyesore" that's plagued 932 Division Avenue with broken windows, gang signs and graffiti for 12 years by the family, Tyson said.