Nyanjenga granted deferred judgement in 2023 vandalism case

By Seth Boyes,

Saturday, January 4, 2025 8:44 am

Caeden Nyanjenga looked over paperwork with his defense attorney ahead of a Dec. 17 sentencing hearing. Nyanjenga reached a plea agreement with prosecutors regarding his role in defacing several local buildings in September of 2023 — initial criminal complaints in the case indicated some of the offenses were considered hate crimes. The teen will have his case dismissed and the file expunged if he successfully completes a one-year probationary period. (Photo by Seth Boyes)

A Decorah teen will avoid serving additional jail time for his alleged role in defacing several downtown buildings in the fall of 2023. 

A district court agreed to a deferred judgement for 19-year-old Caeden Philip Andrew Nyanjenga last month as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Nyanjenga is one of several individuals believed to have vandalized multiple sites in and around downtown Decorah in September of 2023 — early filings in the case indicated some of the offenses were considered hate crimes.

The matter was scheduled to go to trial last month, but a ruling from Iowa First Judicial District Court Judge Laura Parrish said, if Nyanjenga fulfills the terms of a one-year probation period, the case against the teen is to be dismissed and expunged without a judgment being entered. Nyanjenga is expected to repay the combined costs of removing the graffiti last year. Nyanjenga’s plea agreement also stipulates he is to write letters of apology to each of the parties whose property was gratified. 

“If you can demonstrate that you learned something from this and understand the impact that your actions had, and ensure that there won’t be any repeat of this behavior, all these folks that you affected will come away from this feeling like there’s been some good and the system worked in the way that it should,” Parrish told Nyanjenga during his sentencing hearing. 

The teen is expected to pay for the damages jointly with 19-year-old Jose Macias Torres of Decorah, who was also arrested in the case. Both teens were charged with trespassing and multiple counts of criminal mischief. Torres previously reached a plea deal with prosecutors and was expected to testify against Nyanjenga and an unnamed juvenile — case filings indicate that juvenile was the subject of a case within the juvenile court system. Torres served four days in jail during August of 2024 for trespassing, and he was granted a deferred judgement for both the charges of criminal mischief filed against him. Those charges are to be dismissed and the case file expunged after Torres completes a three-year probation period, according to court records.

Full article available in the January 2 Decorah Leader.

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