Staff Report

Kenny Lee Nesmith

NORTH WEBSTER — A Syracuse man was recently arrested for allegedly breaking into a garage and barn near North Webster.

In the first case, Kenny Lee Nesmith, 40, 204 E. Henry St., Syracuse, is charged with burglary, a level 4 felony; theft, a class A misdemeanor; and theft with a sentence enhancement, a level 6 felony. He is also charged with burglary, a level 5 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor, in a second case.

On Sept. 24, North Webster Police officers responded to a burglary which occurred at a residence on Sept. 22. Surveillance footage showed Nesmith entering an attached garage without permission. The garage’s owner said the door was shut and locked with a chain prior to Nesmith making entry.

In an interview on Sept. 25, Nesmith said he entered the garage through a broken hole in the garage’s door. He also stole a pair of shoes from the property.

Also on Sept. 24, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a burglary in progress at a barn south of North Webster. Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with a Pierceton Police officer and the property’s manager about a strong odor of spray paint coming from inside the barn.

According to court documents, the property owner said surveillance footage showed Nesmith inside the barn, rummaging through items and using spray paint cans. The owner said the barn was locked and secured when Nesmith broke in.

Nesmith told the deputy he was looking for his lost dog and was told the dog was at the property. He said he crawled under a door opening at the barn in order to gain entry, and acknowledged that he did not have permission to be inside the barn.

Upon searching Nesmith’s person, the deputy found drug paraphernalia and meth.

Nesmith was previously convicted of theft in Kosciusko County in June.