Hulking Florida teen Brendan Depa who severely beat teacher over Nintendo Switch sentenced to five years in prison
SUMMARY
Brendan Depa, an 18-year-old Florida teen, was sentenced to five years in prison for brutally attacking a high school paraprofessional over a Nintendo Switch in February 2023. Depa, who has autism spectrum disorder, also received 15 years of probation and will be placed in a group home after his release. The assault, captured on security footage, showed Depa, who is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, violently beating Joan Naydich unconscious. Naydich, who now suffers from PTSD and anxiety, lost her job and financial security due to the attack. Depa’s adoptive mother criticized the sentence, claiming it unfairly punished him for his size, race, and disability, and argued he needed treatment, not prison. Depa's attorney plans to appeal, but he has been ordered to avoid all contact with Naydich.
