Boy, 10, guilty in beating of homeless Army vet

updated 12:52 p.m. ET May 10, 2007

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A 10-year-old boy was convicted Thursday in the beating of a homeless Army veteran that left the man so severely injured he had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

Prosecutors say the boy, another 10-year-old and Jeremy Woods, 17, ganged up on John D’Amico, 58, as he and a friend walked through a Daytona Beach neighborhood on March 27.

Circuit Judge John Watson found the boy guilty Thursday of aggravated battery and set sentencing for May 24. The boy, who appeared in court in shackles and an oversized jumpsuit, could be held in the juvenile system until he turns 21, depending on the sentencing decision.

The other 10-year-old pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and faces up to a year in juvenile detention when he is sentenced June 18. He has been released to an aunt in Michigan.

Woods has been charged with aggravated battery and faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

D’Amico has undergone numerous operations since the attack, including reconstructive surgery to his face.

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