A Springfield man pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday for burglarizing and vandalizing New Covenant Academy in 2023.
Kyle Denver Black, 38, pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and institutional vandalism on Jan. 27.
Greene County Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison sentenced Black to seven years in a Missouri Department of Corrections prison for both charges. Those sentences will run concurrently, meaning Black will serve a maximum of seven years.
New Covenant Academy is a private, non-profit Christian school located at 3304 S. Cox Ave. in Springfield.
According to a probable cause statement, Springfield police responded to a report that a burglary occurred on Aug. 13, 2023. The officer reviewed video surveillance footage of the incident and noticed a 2005 Dodge Neon was driven by the suspect — later identified as Black — where several items, including coolers and a table, were stolen out of a locked building on the grounds. Black also damaged a surveillance camera estimated to cost at least $750. The total loss and damages were estimated as about $1,000.
According to the statement, Black has burglarized similar type businesses and buildings, including when he burglarized a shed at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden at 2400 S. Scenic Ave.
“It appears (Black) targets sheds belonging to parks and or sports complexes where he gains access to these sheds and then steals items inside of them,” the investigating officer wrote in the probable cause statement.
