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'Danger to the community': South Bay man accused of kidnap, rape denied bail

A judge ordered the face of Rafael Banda in court be covered.
Posted at 8:28 PM, Mar 17, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-17 23:28:53-04

Warning: Some of the details in this article may be disturbing

In a Chula Vista courtroom on Friday afternoon, 44-year-old Rafael Banda sat in handcuffs as a deputy district attorney outlined acts of violence they say he committed just days before.

Banda is charged with rape by force and kidnapping after a woman called police on Wednesday, saying she was held captive in a Palm City home for roughly 24 hours.

San Diego Police later found a dead body inside of the home where Banda was residing in the 2200 block of Citrus Avenue.

The judge denied Banda bail, which was originally set at $100,00 dollars.

The decision came following a statement of facts from the prosecution, describing a disturbing series of events involving Banda and the victim.

The prosecution claims the victim and Banda knew one another for roughly one week before the crime occurred.

They say the victim went to Banda's house to get some of her belongings, when he began beating her and eventually showed her the dead woman's body, asking her to dismember it.

The victim was allegedly "not able to" dismember the body, and eventually raped.

The prosecution says Banda used drugs and passed out, which is when the victim was able to escape.

“Clearly you have an individual that has no problem using violence to rape other people and there was a dead body in there," said Joshua Brisbane, the Deputy District Attorney on the case.

The judge also pointed to Banda's extensive criminal history, including multiple violent crimes.

“The reason why judges get paid the big bucks is to make decisions to protect the public, the victims, and a return to court, and the rights of the defendant," said Paul Pfingst, the former District Attorney for San Diego County.

Banda has not been charged in relation to the dead body.

The deceased woman's identity has not been released.

Banda retained his own legal council, therefore his arraignment was postponed until Tuesday, March 21 in Chula Vista.

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