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.
This week, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office announced that Robert Carrasco, 40, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of 38-year-old Jason Banda. This decision follows Carrasco’s acceptance of a plea deal, according to a report shared with Law&Crime.
The fatal incident took place in April 2024, but prosecutors indicate that the friction between Carrasco and Banda extended back several years. In February 2022, Carrasco assaulted his girlfriend, who happened to be Banda’s sister, and faced charges for the attack. He entered a guilty plea and received probation, as detailed by the San Antonio Express-News.
However, Carrasco violated the conditions of his probation in September 2022, which led to Banda’s involvement in having him taken back into custody. Consequently, Carrasco was re-incarcerated.
By March 2024, Carrasco secured release on bond but seemingly harbored unresolved grievances toward Banda. In April, a “confrontation” emerged between the two.
Reportedly, Carrasco confronted Banda about his previous arrest, and during their encounter, Carrasco “savagely beat and killed Banda in front of his sister,” as stated by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Initially, Banda’s sister informed authorities that her brother “had been attacked by multiple people.” However, she eventually confessed that Carrasco was responsible for the murder. Additionally, the case against Carrasco was bolstered by evidence that he allegedly FaceTimed his mother and son “while the attack was underway,” said prosecutors.
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.”
