Leanne Depa: Mother of teen who attacked teacher over a Nintendo begs for mercy as prison looms

MATANZAS, FLORIDA: An autistic Florida teenager who brutally attacked his teacher’s aide after being told to stop playing on his Nintendo Switch is now facing up to 30 years in prison, while his mother begs for mercy, as per Daily Mail.

The violent assault occurred on February 21, 2023, at Matanzas High School. 18-year-old Brendan Depa, who was 17 at the time, punched and kicked teaching assistant Joan Naydich in the head and back until she lost consciousness. Naydich suffered extensive injuries including five broken ribs, a severe concussion, and permanent hearing loss in one ear.

Brendan Depa's brutal attack on teacher

Security camera footage shows the 6-foot 6-inch Brendan knocking Naydich to the ground and continuing to viciously kick and punch her body. Bystanders eventually restrain Brendan and pull him away from the scene.

Brendan has since pled no contest to a charge of first-degree aggravated battery in adult court for the brutal attack. He now faces 5 to 30 years in state prison when sentenced on January 31, 2024.

Brendan Depa's mother Leanne begs for mercy

In a tearful interview with NewsNation, Brendan’s mother Leanne called the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence for her son “a death sentence” and said she is "terrified" at the prospect.

“I am so sorry for what my son did. Nobody should ever have to go through that,” said Leanne, acknowledging the severity of Naydich’s injuries while pleading for mercy. “But please consider he has had a hard life and gone through so much trauma...he has autism. Please show mercy to him.”

Leanne questioned why Brendan is being charged as an adult when he has severe autism spectrum disorder. She claims Brendan’s disability wasn’t considered in deciding to charge him in adult court and that it can't be considered as a defense until sentencing.

Joan Naydich calls for maximum prison sentence for Depa

Meanwhile, Naydich has been very vocal in calling for the harshest possible punishment for her attacker. Naydich says the assault left her a different person, turning her whole life upside down.

“I feel like I'm just constantly being attacked,” said an emotional Naydich in a television interview. “Unfortunately a lot of my injuries...I'm going to have for the rest of my life.”

The well-liked teaching assistant has struggled to get support from her school district since the incident. After returning to work in August under a different title, Naydich says she was placed on indefinite unpaid leave just days later.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $120,000 so far to help Naydich pay her mounting medical bills. She says she’ll never be the same again after this traumatic attack and wants to see Brendan locked up for the full 30-year sentence.

Naydich is willing to make a victim impact statement at Brendan’s January sentencing hearing in support of the maximum prison term. She says she feels Brendan is a danger to society who needs to be kept away from the public.

Internet's response to Leanne Depa's pleas for leniency

The online sentiment appears to be unsupportive of Leanne's requests for leniency.

One user wrote, "My son is autistic and he abhors violence and won't even play video games except Pokemon and Mario. Autistic kids are normally very easy going, for him to be so violent he has to have underlying issues. I am not condoning his behavior, I think he needs to be away from society."

Another said, "Actually no. They are trying to shame the teacher for being a victim of that unwarranted attack. Under no circumstances should this teacher be required to do anything to facilitate leniency towards him."

A third wrote, "Fullest extent. If your disability leads to violence, it is still a crime. Not safe to be in public." Another person said, "Lots of kids have autism. They don’t beat someone up almost killing them."

Someone else noted, "As a psychologist - No. Absolutely not. It was released that he also had ODD, this child was failed outside of school. Stop using a mental health diagnosis as an excuse for violent behavior."