Florida teen sentenced to 5 years in prison for assaulting teacher's aide caught on video
PALM COAST, Fla. - A teenager captured on video assaulting a teacher's aide at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida, has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Footage of the attack was recorded on camera at the high school. Brendan Depa, the assailant, received his sentence nearly a year and a half after the incident. During the sentencing hearing, his adoptive mother, Leanne Depa, pleaded for leniency.
"I beg you to let him come home with me. I want my son back," she said. "Brendan has had a hard life. I don’t think he’ll survive prison."
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Leanne Depa informed the court about her son's history of verbal and physical aggression, emphasizing that the school had been warned about his triggers.
Judge Terence Perkins listened intently to accounts of Depa's past behavior and mental health issues. "It can go from zero to… all of a sudden, he would react," she noted.
Autism disorder specialist Kimberly Spence testified about the challenges faced by individuals with autism, stating, "A lot of people with autism express aggression. I do not believe he will receive the treatment he needs in prison."
The victim, Joan Naydich, addressed the court earlier in the May hearing.
"There are consequences in life to bad actions, bad choices. He made that choice that day to come after me," Naydich stated.
Depa's sentencing highlights ongoing concerns about the handling of mental health issues within the criminal justice system.