- October 10, 2024
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The former Matanzas High School student who attacked a MHS paraprofessional last February has pleaded no contest to a first-degree felony aggravated battery charge.
Brendan Depa, 18, was 17 at the time of incident and charged as an adult with aggravated battery on an educational employee. Survelliance video of the incident showed Depa knocking paraprofessional Joan Naydich unconscious, stomping on her and punching her repeatedly.
Depa entered an open plea, leaving sentencing in the hands of Circuit Judge Terence Perkins, according to court records. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Perkins will sentence Depa on Jan. 31, 2024.
Depa, who has autism, was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation at a pretrial hearing in March. In a second pretrial hearing in May, Depa’s lawyer, Kurt Teifke, a defense attorney with 20 years of experience, asked the court for the competency hearing.
That hearing was held in June and, despite varying testimonies from the two psychologists, Perkins found Depa to be competent for trial.
Teifke notified the court that Depa would submitting a plea in lieu of a trial on Oct. 11, according to court records.
