Student who beat teacher unconscious will be tried as adult

Brendan Depa, 17, will be tried as an adult for the brutal beating of Joan Naydich, 57, at Palm Coast, Florida’s Mantanzas High School.

The vicious and deeply disturbing assault was captured on security camera footage, which shows a student pushing a teacher to the ground and knocking her unconscious before going on to punch and stomp on her as she lies motionless and defenseless. The mother of two was struck at least 15 times in the back of the head.

Depa, who faces a felony aggravated battery charge, had been arrested for battery on three separate occasions in 2019. Now, Florida’s Seventh District Court has ruled that the six-foot-six, 270 pound student will be held on a $1 million bond and face up to 30 years in prison.