FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA: The 6-foot-6 Florida teenager who beat a female paraprofessional unconscious after his Nintendo Switch video game was confiscated at school pleaded guilty to the shocking crime on Monday and could face up to 30 years in prison.
On February 21, 2023, Brendan Depa, then 17, violently attacked the Matanzas High School teacher’s aide Joan Naydich and pinned her to the floor as she tried to leave a classroom.
He could be seen in the viral surveillance footage kicking and punching her in the back and head until she lay on the ground senseless.
On Monday, Depa, who reportedly has autism, admitted to the crime and will be sentenced in January by Judge Terrence Perkins.
The 18-year-old special education student said “no contest” after Perkins asked him how he pleaded to the felony charge against him, according to Flagler Live.
The judge subsequently told him that his sentencing would be on January 31, 2024, at 1.30 pm.
No chance of leniency for Brendan Depa
Depa's attorney, Kurt Teifke, stated on Monday's hearing that the plea was no longer surprising, as it had become almost certain that Depa had little choice but to plead out.
His sentence will be determined by Judge Perkins at January’s hearing where witness testimony for both prosecution and defense is expected.
It is an open plea that suggests Judge Perkins will decide Depa’s fate in its entirety, either sentencing him as an adult or as a juvenile offender.
The recommended prison sentence for an adult ranges from just under three years to a maximum of thirty years, as reported by Flagler Live.
Depa's family had hoped to avoid a prison sentence for him and instead get him probation and treatment. They had previously expressed concerns about Depa's ability to sit through a trial due to his autism.
However, after a court-appointed psychologist found him competent, the trial was allowed to proceed.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark is leading the prosecution and has not shown any indication of being lenient.
Joan Naydich, on the other hand, has refused to participate in any efforts to reduce Dena's sentence.
Depa was initially charged as a juvenile, but the charges were later upgraded.
Brendan’s worsening woes
The troubled teen had three prior battery arrests before the disturbing assault on Naydich in February.
Joan was treated at a hospital nearby after the assault and released thereafter. Fortunately, she hasn’t suffered any major ailments from the shocking incident.
Authorities have noted that Depa threatened to kill Naydich while being taken into custody.
Flagler Live also reported that Depa was involved in a prison brawl in September.
Naydich, who is expected to testify at Dena's sentencing in January, declined to comment on the case.
