Latest news with #ParkerCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man Accused of Secretly Slipping Abortion Drug into Pregnant Girlfriend's Coffee, Causing Her to Lose Baby
A woman in Texas alleged her ex-boyfriend slipped "Plan C" into her drink last October, causing her to lose her baby Police allege the man, who worked in IT at the U.S. Department of Justice, remotely connected to his cellphone after it was seized, wiping away "crucial" evidence The 38-year-old has now been charged with felonies for attempted capital murder and tampering with evidence, the Parker County Sheriff's Office saysAn IT worker with the U.S. Department of Justice has been charged in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend's unborn child, as well as allegedly tampering with evidence on a cellphone collected by authorities, officials in Texas said Anthony Banta has been charged with attempt to commit capital murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to Parker County Jail records reviewed by PEOPLE. In a press release by the Parker County Sheriff's Office on Monday, authorities said Banta's ex-girlfriend accused him of slipping 'Plan C' into her drink after trying to convince her to get an abortion. According to the sheriff's office, the victim said she and Banta were in a romantic relationship last September when she learned she was pregnant. Banta then allegedly 'proposed to cover the cost [of] an abortion and suggested they order the 'Plan C' online.' However, the victim told police she allegedly informed Banta she wanted to keep the baby. By October, the alleged victim told police she met up with Banta at a local coffee shop in Tarrant County, Texas, 'where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission, while they were at a coffee shop.' The next day, the woman told police she allegedly began experiencing fatigue and heavy bleeding, leading her to go to an 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,' the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators later interviewed Banta and seized his cellphone as evidence. However, Parker County officials allege that Banta used his IT skills to remotely connect to his cellphone and force a 'reset' while it was in possession of local authorities and 'thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case.'Authorities then obtained a warrant for Banta's arrest, charging him with two felonies. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Banta was taken into custody last Friday, according to records reviewed by PEOPLE. He was released later that day on bond set at $500,000 for the attempted murder charge and $20,000 for the charge of tampering with evidence, local jail records show. The Parker County Sheriff's Office says 'the cases against Banta remain active and are awaiting prosecution.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
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. Texas Man Arrested For Fatal Beating Of Mother During 'Exorcism': Police 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. Read On The Fox News App "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. Suspect Accused Of Stabbing Texas Man 55 Times Identified By Bloody Shoe Print 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 article source: DOJ worker faces capital murder charge for allegedly slipping abortion drug into pregnant girlfriend's drink
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas man charged with capital murder for allegedly giving pregnant partner abortion pills
Law enforcement has arrested a North Texas man and charged him with capital murder for the death of his unborn child. Justin Anthony Banta, 38, is accused of secretly giving his pregnant girlfriend an abortion-inducing drug that resulted in the unborn child's death, according to a press release from the Parker County Sheriff's Office. Here's what we know about the case. More in Texas abortion cases: Senate push to ban abortion pills in Texas was blocked in the House: A 'political decision' Banta was arrested on Friday, June 6, on charges of capital murder and tampering with evidence "in the months-long investigation," Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier says. The victim and Banta's then-partner, whose identity has not been made public, says he intentionally added an abortion-inducing drug to her drink in September of last year. The two were in a romantic relationship when she found out she was pregnant. When she told Banta of the pregnancy, he allegedly said he would cover the cost of an abortion and "suggested they order the 'Plan C' online." The victim says she told Banta that she wished to continue the pregnancy. Banta's then-partner was about six weeks pregnant when she went to a doctor for a sonogram. Her doctor reportedly told her the unborn baby had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs and appeared to be healthy. The same day, the victim says she met Banta at a Tarrant County coffee shop. This is where she suspects Banta added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or consent. The victim told police that she began experiencing symptoms the next day, including extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding. She reported going to the emergency room, then losing the baby on Oct. 19. The Parker County Sheriff's Office reports collecting Banta's cell phone as evidence after interviewing him. Despite this, law enforcement claims Banta was able to tamper with the evidence — a skill thought to be connected to his job. "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 release from local police states. After local investigators got a felony arrest warrant for Banta, he was taken into custody on June 6 and booked into the Parker County Jail. The Parker County Sheriff's Office has charged Banta with tampering with physical evidence, and the Texas Rangers filed a capital murder charge in Tarrant County. "Sheriff Authier expressed his gratitude to the owners and staff of the coffee shop... for their full cooperation, along with the efforts of Parker County Sheriff's Office investigators, the Texas Rangers, Benbrook Police, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Digital Forensic and Technical Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their support and resources throughout this extensive investigation," the press release concluded. The cases against Banta are still active and awaiting prosecution, Sheriff Authier added. No further details will be made public due to the ongoing investigation. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas man arrested, charged for allegedly forcing abortion on partner
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man charged over abortion drug in partner's drink
A man in Texas has been charged with murder after he allegedly slipped an abortion drug into his pregnant girlfriend's drink. Justin 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 state. Mr 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 baby. Police 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 Office. Police 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 statement. Mr Banta's former girlfriend also said he suggested they buy the Plan C abortion drug online after she disclosed her pregnancy. Following an interview with Mr Banta, police collected his mobile phone, but later discovered "crucial evidence relating to the case" was deleted, they said. Investigators 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 evidence. Police said the cases against Mr Banta remained active and ongoing. Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US, banning all abortions except in dire medical circumstances. The 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. Home Office miscarriage spiker remanded in custody
CBS News
24-04-2025
- CBS News
Authorities discover three bodies in Hood County amid search for missing persons
The bodies of two men and a woman have been discovered in northern Hood County, according to the Parker County Sheriff's Office. Authorities found the remains near a water-filled creek along FM 167 (Temple Hall Highway). Crime scene barricade covering. / Getty Images The deceased, identified as a Black man, a white man, and a white woman, have been sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office for identification and determination of cause of death. The discoveries follow a request for assistance from the Texas Rangers and Parker County Sheriff's Office in locating three individuals who may be in danger. Those missing, according to a news release, include: Tiffany Ann Williams , 44, white female, described as 4 feet 11 inches tall, 180 pounds, light brown curly shoulder-length hair, blue eyes , 44, white female, described as 4 feet 11 inches tall, 180 pounds, light brown curly shoulder-length hair, blue eyes David Dewayne Walker , 42, Black male, described as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 240 pounds, short black hair, brown eyes , 42, Black male, described as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 240 pounds, short black hair, brown eyes Robbie Allen Head, 55, white male, described as 5 feet 3 inches tall, 138 pounds, short brown hair, brown eyes Authorities were called on Monday evening to a residence in the 100 block of Myrtle Lane, where the condition of the home and witness statements indicated suspicious circumstances. Anyone with information about their disappearances is urged to contact the Parker County Sheriff's Office at (817) 594-8845. Callers can remain anonymous when contacting Parker County Crime Stoppers at (817) 599-5555. Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to the location of those missing. CBS News Texas will provide additional details as they become available.
