A US Department of Justice IT employee slipped an abortion drug into his girlfriend’s drink, causing her to lose the baby, according to Texas authorities.
Justin Anthony Banta, 38, is charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say Banta’s girlfriend informed him in September that she was carrying his child. Banta allegedly suggested she have an abortion and offered to buy her the Plan C drug to terminate the pregnancy. However, the victim told him she wanted to keep the baby, according to authorities.
On October 17, the victim, who was approximately six weeks pregnant, went to a doctor’s appointment, where a sonogram revealed that the baby had a strong heartbeat and was in overall good health. Later that day, she met Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County. Police believe Banta slipped an abortion drug into her drink while the victim was not looking.
The next day, she began to experience “extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding,” according to authorities. She went to the emergency room and later miscarried, according to deputies.
Detectives interviewed Banta and confiscated his phone to look for possible evidence. Cops allege he accessed the phone remotely and performed a factory reset, erasing any potential evidence that he purchased the abortion drug or conducted incriminating searches.
Parker County Sheriff’s deputies obtained a warrant for tampering with evidence. Banta was arrested by Texas Rangers in Tarrant County on charges of capital murder. Police arrested Banta on Friday and transported him to the Parker County Jail, where he has since bonded out. It’s unclear whether he has a lawyer.
Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier thanked the coffee shop owners for their “full cooperation,” which contributed to Banta’s arrest.
A spokesperson for the DOJ did not immediately respond to Law&Crime’s inquiry about Banta’s current employment status.
