Bradenton man arrested months after beating girlfriend to death, deputies say
A Bradenton man with a history of domestic violence faces a murder charge after deputies say he beat his girlfriend to death several months ago.
Deputies arrested Roger Villasana, 33, on Wednesday night and charged him with second-degree murder in the April killing of his girlfriend, 34-year-old Yassmin Montoya, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Villasana’s murder arrest adds to what court records show is a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple domestic violence convictions.
Deputies said they responded April 8 to a 911 call about an unconscious woman inside a black Dodge Charger parked at a home in the 2100 block of 30th Avenue East in Bradenton. When they found Montoya, deputies said she was unresponsive with significant injuries, including severe facial swelling.
Paramedics rushed Montoya to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where the sheriff’s office said she died three days later.
Montoya suffered a traumatic brain injury, facial fractures and other internal injuries, deputies said. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide, citing blunt force trauma to the head and face “consistent with a prolonged, forceful physical assault,” according to a news release.
Investigators said Villasana initially claimed Montoya was attacked by unknown suspects in Sarasota.
But surveillance video from the Golden Host Resort in Sarasota showed the couple together without injuries before a “violent altercation” between them broke out, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives said footage captured Villasana dragging Montoya back into their hotel room after she tried to flee, and later showed her visibly injured and unable to walk.
Investigators said they found cell phone records, license plate data and other video evidence that contradicted Villasana’s story, and no witnesses supported his account. Detectives said they ultimately determined his version of events was false and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Villasana remains in custody without bond, according to the sheriff’s office website.
