Latest news with #ParkerCounty
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
DOJ worker faces capital murder charge for allegedly slipping abortion drug into pregnant girlfriend's drink
A Justice Department worker was charged with capital murder for allegedly slipping an abortion drug into his pregnant girlfriend's drink without her consent, forcing her to lose her baby, police said. Justin Banta, a 38-year-old information technology staffer, was taken into custody Friday following an incident that unfolded at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, Texas, last October, according to the Parker County Sheriff's Office. "The victim reported that her boyfriend intentionally added 'Plan C,' (commonly known as the abortion drug) to her drink in order to force her to have an abortion without her knowledge or consent," police said. In addition to a capital murder charge from the Texas Rangers, Banta was booked on one count of tampering with physical evidence. The Justice Department did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The victim told investigators that she and Banta were in a "romantic relationship" in September 2024 when she discovered she was pregnant, the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. "The victim informed Banta of the pregnancy, who proposed to cover the cost [of] an abortion and suggested they order the 'Plan C' online. The victim informed Banta of her desire to keep the baby," police added. "On Oct. 17, 2024, when the victim was approximately six-weeks pregnant, she went for a sonogram, where she learned the baby had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs and was said to be healthy by her doctor." The woman said she then met Banta at a coffee shop later that day. Charging documents said Banta gave the victim a drink he purchased prior to her arrival, KDFW reported, adding that security camera footage showed she consumed the entire beverage. "The next day, the victim stated she began to suffer from extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, prompting her to visit the emergency room. The victim reported she lost her baby on Oct. 19, which she believed was a result of the drugs Banta had previously placed in her drink at the coffee shop without her permission," according to the Parker County Sheriff's Office. Police said they interviewed Banta and collected his cell phone as evidence. During the interview, Banta admitted to buying the abortion drugs on his phone and said he knew investigators wanted to talk to him about the woman's miscarriage, according to KDFW. "Sheriff's investigators believe Banta, who works at the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, later accessed the phone remotely and performed a 'reset,' thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case," the sheriff's office said. Banta was released from the Parker County Jail on Friday after posting a $500,000 bond for the capital murder charge and a $20,000 bond for the evidence-tampering charge, KDFW reported.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Texas abortion case: man charged over drugging partner's drink
A man in Texas has been charged with murder after he allegedly slipped an abortion drug into his pregnant girlfriend's Anthony Banta was arrested on Friday after a months-long investigation into his former girlfriend's accusation that he gave her the Plan C pill (known as an abortion drug) without her knowledge, according to police in the US Banta's ex-partner said when she disclosed her pregnancy last year, he had offered to cover the cost of an abortion, but she expressed her desire to keep the said after meeting with Mr Banta in a coffee shop, she experienced heavy bleeding and visited the emergency room, but lost her baby a few days later. Mr Banta was also charged with tampering with physical evidence and is awaiting prosecution, according to the Parker County Sheriff's said Mr Banta's former girlfriend was around six-weeks pregnant when she went for a check up with her doctor, who told her the baby was healthy and had "a strong heartbeat" and vital signs."Later that same day, the victim reported she met Banta at a coffee shop... where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission," the sheriff's office said in a Banta's former girlfriend also said he suggested they buy the Plan C abortion drug online after she disclosed her an interview with Mr Banta, police collected his mobile phone, but later discovered "crucial evidence relating to the case" was deleted, they said they believed Mr Banta, who worked in IT at the US Department of Justice, later accessed his phone remotely and performed a "reset".An arrest warrant for him was then obtained, and Mr Banta was charged last week with capital murder and tampering with physical said the cases against Mr Banta remained active and has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US, banning all abortions except in dire medical state introduced a law in 2022 that carries civil and criminal penalties for those who perform abortions.A law in 2021 also bans the termination of pregnancies after a baby's heartbeat is detected, but does make exceptions for medical emergencies.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Man accused of capital murder, tampering with evidence in death of unborn child, Parker County Sheriff's Office says
A man who works in IT for the U.S. Department of Justice has been arrested in connection with the death of his unborn child and tampering with evidence, the Parker County Sheriff's Office announced Monday. Justin Anthony Banta, 38, was taken into custody on Friday, June 6, for capital murder following a months-long investigation into the death of his ex-girlfriend's unborn child, the sheriff's office said. Victim says Banta forced her to have an abortion In September 2024, Banta's then-girlfriend reported that he intentionally added "Plan C," an abortion drug, to her drink so that she'd have an abortion without her knowledge. She told authorities that while she was still in a romantic relationship with Banta, she found out she was pregnant and Banta proposed to cover the cost of an abortion and suggested the couple order "Plan C" online, the sheriff's office said in a news release. But she told Banta that she wanted to keep the baby. In October 2024, when the victim was about six weeks pregnant, she went for a sonogram and learned the baby "had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs and was said to be healthy by her doctor," according to Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier. Later that same day, the victim said she and Banta met at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, where she shared her suspicion that Banta "secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission," the news release said. A day after their coffee shop outing, the victim began to suffer from fatigue and heavy bleeding, leading to an emergency room visit. The victim told authorities she lost the baby on Oct. 19, which she believed was a result of Banta slipping her "Plan C" in her drink. Justin Anthony Banta, 38, arrested for capital murder and tampering with evidence. Parker County Sheriff's Office Banta allegedly deletes cellphone evidence The Parker County Sheriff's Office said Banta was interviewed about the incident, and his cellphone was collected as evidence in the case. Investigators believe Banta, who works in the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, later accessed the phone remotely and "performed a 'reset,' thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case." Investigators obtained a felony arrest warrant for Banta, who was booked in the Parker County Jail for tampering with physical evidence and a charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder, which has been filed in Tarrant County. The investigation is still ongoing, and the sheriff's office said the cases against Banta are awaiting prosecution.
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Threat of large hail, damaging winds and flooding returns Tuesday across North Texas
Another round of severe storms, bringing hail and damaging winds on track to hit North Texas Another round of severe storms, bringing hail and damaging winds on track to hit North Texas Another round of severe storms, bringing hail and damaging winds on track to hit North Texas Good Monday morning! Luckily, the day starts quietly on Monday after Sunday night's severe storms. Numerous hail reports were focused on Parker and southern Tarrant counties. Hail sizes ranged from a dime to a baseball! Monday is the break in between the storms with lots of sunshine in the afternoon and highs in the lower 90s. The break is short-lived as the First Alert Weather Team is tracking the next round of strong to severe storms Tuesday afternoon into the evening hours. Tuesday is a First Alert Weather Day due to the threat of large hail, damaging winds, and localized flooding. The greatest severe threat is for areas along and west of I-35, where storms will initiate. It could be a bumpy evening commute for some on Tuesday as storms develop off a dryline to our west and along an incoming front. Storms will track east overnight, but the front will stall out east of I-35, remaining the focus for more showers and storms on Wednesday. Areas west of I-35 will mainly see mostly cloudy skies and slightly cooler temperatures with highs in the lower 80s. The active pattern remains through the rest of the work week with rain chances focused along the Red River into the weekend. Have a great day!
