A Warren man has pled guilty in court on Tuesday to abusing a 16-year-old autistic patient at a behavior health clinic back in 2022.

In a plea deal, 20-year-old George Gunther pled guilty to one count of patient abuse and had his other charge of assault dropped. Gunther was originally scheduled for a jury trial Tuesday, but a plea deal was taken instead.

The charge stems from an incident from November of 2022 when Gunther alongside co-worker Sultahn Honzu abused the boy, who was described as "autistic and non-functioning."

Prosecutors say there is video evidence of Gunther and Honzu repeatedly striking the boy, slamming him against a wall, throwing him into a bed and verbally abusing him at Penny's Behavioral Healthcare in Hubbard.

Honzu pled guilty to his charges in this case back in March of 2023. He too pled guilty to patient abuse and had his assault charge dismissed. He was sentenced to nine months in prison back in April of 2023.

Gunther is not in custody at this time. Prosecutors are suggesting a sentence of nine months in prison, a $5,000 fine and two years of probation once released. The maximum sentence for this charge is 18 months in prison.