- April 25, 2024
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A Flagler County judge has ordered the Matanzas High School special education student charged in a Feb. 21 attack on a school paraprofessional to undergo a mental examination to determine if he is fit to stand trial.
Brendan Depa, 17, is being charged as an adult and has pleaded not guilty.
His public defender filed on March 3 for the court to order the examination. Judge Terence Perkins issued the order on the same day, according to court documents.
A document submitted on March 2 by Depa's lawyer said Depa does not appear to understand the nature of his charges or the legal process, and has previously been evaluated, undergone treatment and been prescribed medication for psychological issues.
He had been arrested after severely injuring Matanzas High School paraprofessional Joan Naydich on Feb. 21. MHS surveillance footage showed Depa — 6 foot, 6 inches and weighing about 270 pounds, according to his arrest report — shove Naydich across a hallway, knocking her unconscious, then repeatedly stomp on her and punch her in the head.
He had previously been charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery three times over the course of 2019 in Hillsborough County, and had completed a juvenile diversion alternative program, according to court records.
Depa is being held at a Jacksonville detention facility on $1 million bond and has a pre-trial court date scheduled for 2:30 p.m. April 5 at the Flagler County courthouse.
A felony charge of aggravated battery on an educational employee is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
