MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have released body camera video of the arrest of the manager of a South Beach hotel accused of sexually assaulting a guest in her room in 2021.
The newly released footage shows Anthony Banderas using explicit language with Miami Beach Police officers after, investigators said, he followed the victim into her room at the Waldorf Towers Hotel on Ocean Drive and touched her privates against her will.
The alleged victim, a woman in her 20s who was visiting for spring break at the time of the incident. has fought back in court, taking legal action against him in a civil lawsuit.
“I did not do nothing like that,” said Banderas on the bodycam footage.
The suspect denied battering the hotel patron, but that’s what he was arrested for last year.
Banderas is seen on body camera and surveillance footage obtained exclusively by 7News.
He’s also now a defendant in a lawsuit.
Banderas managed and lived at the Waldorf, and on the night of his arrest said horrible things about the young woman, after the victim called police to report his alleged crime.
“They’re both in the condition, they could be raped 100 times…[Unintelligible],” said Banderas
“Wait, what did you say? What did you just say?,” said one of the officers.
“They’re both in the condition, they could’ve been raped 100 times, and they would not even know,” said Banderas.
On March 25, two days after he went to jail for battery, 7News went to Banderas for a statement, but he had no comment.
He was still living at the hotel back then.
7News knocked again Thursday night.
If he had answered, we would have asked him about the civil suit filed by the victim and his pending criminal case.
The lawsuit states the victim “was battered and touched sexually against her will by defendant Banderas. Defendant Banderas took off plaintiff’s bathing suit against her will, overpowered her.”
The hotel’s clerk stated that Banderas no longer lives at nor works for the hotel.
That employee said he didn’t know of Banderas’ whereabouts.
Last year, he was in his hotel room, which police said was his residence.
When a 7News crew went to the suspect’s room and asked if he wanted to speak about the allegations, he responded, “No, my attorney says no.”
A 7News crew had more luck months later with the front desk clerk in the lobby.
Asked about the lawsuit filed against Room Mate, the parent company of the Waldorf Towers Hotel, the hotel itself and the limited liability company that owns it, the clerk said the hotel had no comment.
The lawsuit alleges that the hotel and hotel company were negligent for hiring Banderas, among other things.
The plaintiff is said to be still suffering from emotional and psychological distress.
Banderas has another criminal court hearing scheduled for March.
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