A U.S. Department of Justice employee allegedly slipped an abortion pill into his girlfriend's drink, causing her to lose the baby, according to Texas authorities.
Justin Anthony Banta, 38, stands accused of capital murder and tampering with evidence, according to the Parker County Sheriff's Office.
Banta Had Told His Girlfriend to Abort the Child When She Informed Him of Pregnancy but She Told Him She Wanted to Keep the Baby
Deputies say Banta's girlfriend informed him in September that she was carrying his baby. Banta allegedly suggested she have an abortion and said he would buy her the Plan C drug to terminate the pregnancy. But the victim told him that she wanted to keep the baby, authorities said.
On Oct. 17, the victim, who was about six weeks pregnant, went to a doctor's appointment where a sonogram showed the baby had a strong heartbeat and was in overall good health. Later that day, she met with Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County. Cops believe Banta slipped an abortion drug into her drink when the victim wasn't looking.
Banta's Girlfriend Started Suffering from 'Extreme Fatigue and Heavy Bleeding' After Having the Drink Spiked by Banta
The next day, she began to suffer from "extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding," authorities say. She went to the emergency room and doctors later confirmed a miscarriage, according to deputies.
Detectives interviewed Banta and confiscated his phone to review it for any potential evidence. Cops allege he accessed the phone remotely and conducted a factory reset on the phone, thereby deleting any potential proof that he bought the abortion drug or conducted any incriminating searches.
Parker County Sheriff's deputies obtained an arrest warrant for tampering with evidence. Texas Rangers arrested Banta for capital murder in Tarrant County. Cops arrested Banta on Friday and took him to the Parker County Jail, where he has since bonded out. Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said co-operation from the coffee shop owners helped them arrest Banta for the crime.
