A battery complaint has been filed against Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew after a dispute over political campaign signs turned into an accusation that he struck a woman. Police responded to the incident, but no injuries were reported and no formal criminal charges had been filed as of Monday. DePew has denied the accusation.
The complaint, first reported on Monday, comes just over a week before DePew faces voters in the city's August 18 mayoral primary, according to FOX 35 Orlando. A woman accused DePew of hitting her with a campaign sign, the station reported, though DePew has denied the allegation. As of the station's report, police had not filed charges in connection with the incident.
A Contested Race Heading Into Primary Day
DePew is one of three names on the ballot in the nonpartisan primary, running against retired businessman Wayne McCloskey and Steven Oleksy, according to Ballotpedia. Under Edgewater's city charter, if no candidate wins a majority of the vote on primary day, the top two finishers advance to a general election on November 3, per rules published by the City of Edgewater. That means the battery complaint is landing at the most sensitive possible moment for a mayor already fighting to keep his seat.
This is not the first time campaign signs have caused legal trouble in an Edgewater mayoral race. During DePew's initial run for office in 2022, his opponent at the time, former Mayor Michael Ignasiak, was caught on camera stealing DePew's campaign signs, according to WKMG News 6. Ignasiak was charged with petit theft, but the case was dropped under a deferred prosecution agreement in February 2023.
What Battery Charges Could Mean Under Florida Law
No charges have been filed against DePew as of Monday, but simple battery under Florida Statute § 784.03 is defined as intentionally touching or striking another person against their will, or causing them bodily harm, according to Shepard Law. The offense is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Whether prosecutors pursue any charge in this case remains an open question, and the complaint currently reflects only a police report, not a criminal filing.
DePew has drawn national attention before for reasons unrelated to policy. He was elected mayor of Edgewater on November 8, 2022, at age 18 with 55% of the vote, making him the youngest elected mayor in Florida's history, according to reporting cited by News Daytona Beach. His youth and profile have kept him in headlines through his term, including a September 2024 controversy after videos circulated showing him at a bar; city spokeswoman Jill Danigel said at the time that Edgewater, as an elected official rather than a city employee, had no record of DePew violating laws while acting in his official capacity, per WFTV.
Council Tensions Simmer Ahead of Election
The sign complaint also lands amid other friction on the Edgewater City Council. At a July 20 meeting, Councilwoman Debbie Dolbow raised ethics and optics concerns over the city's legal contract with the Sabatini Law Firm, noting that lead attorney Anthony Sabatini represents DePew in a personal legal matter while also serving as city attorney, according to WKMG News 6. That overlap has fueled broader questions about DePew's dealings with city government even before this latest incident.
DePew's policy record has also been a flashpoint. In August 2025, he voted with a 3–2 council majority to keep temporary development moratoriums in place to combat severe local flooding, despite state legislative changes restricting such pauses, according to Central Florida Public Media. More recently, in July, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Florida Space Innovation Center, expanding his public profile across Southeast Volusia County.
For now, the battery complaint remains an active police matter rather than a criminal case, and DePew continues to deny the accusation as he campaigns for re-election. Edgewater voters will get the first chance to weigh in when polls open for the primary on August 18.
