Left: Robert Carrasco (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office). Right: Jason Banda (San Antonio Mortuary).
A man in Texas who beat his girlfriend’s brother to death in front of her — while on FaceTime with his own mother and son — has learned his fate.
Robert Carrasco, 40, was sentenced this week to 45 years in prison for murdering 38-year-old Jason Banda, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, which told Law&Crime the sentencing came after he accepted a plea deal.
The murder occurred in April 2024, but according to prosecutors, tension between the two men had been present for years. In February 2022, Carrasco assaulted his girlfriend, who was Banda’s sister, and was charged in the attack. He pleaded guilty and was released on probation, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
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Carrasco reportedly broke the terms of his probation months later, in September 2022, and Banda played a part in getting the man re-arrested. Carrasco returned to jail.
In March 2024, Carrasco was released on bond. But he apparently had not forgotten about Banda, and after the calendar turned to April, a “confrontation” between the two men occurred.
Carrasco is said to have approached Banda about having him arrested, and as the two men spoke, Carrasco “brutally beat and killed Banda in front of his sister,” according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Banda’s sister is said to have initially told authorities her brother “had been jumped.” But “she later admitted that Carrasco had murdered him,” prosecutors said. Still, there was another reason why the case against Carrasco was building: he reportedly FaceTimed his mom and son “during the assault.”
Carrasco’s mother reported this to authorities, leading them — including the county’s medical examiner — to return to the scene of the crime and conduct “additional testing.” It is unclear if they found anything new that helped to incriminate Carrasco.
Banda is remembered in his obituary as having been “a kind and generous man that helped everyone he could.” It adds: “Jay, you will be missed tremendously and you will forever live in the hearts of everyone that met you.”
