Man Accused of Secretly Slipping Abortion Drug into Pregnant Girlfriend's Coffee, Causing Her to Lose Baby

An 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 Monday.

Justin 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.

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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.”