A 43-year-old Banning man accused of severely beating his girlfriend in front of her young son and later threatening her in an attempt to keep her quiet pleaded not guilty Monday to domestic violence and other offenses.
Nicholas Gilles Lacasse was arrested last week following a roughly eight-month-long Banning Police Department investigation.
Along with the two counts of domestic violence, Lacasse is charged with two counts of witness intimidation, and one count each of child endangerment, false imprisonment and battery on a cohabitant.
The defendant was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for March 20 at the Banning Justice Center.
Lacasse is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
According to Banning police, the first alleged attack happened last Fourth of July in Newport Beach, followed by additional abuse at the couple’s residence on Ramsey Street in Banning.
Investigators alleged a senior was also assaulted by the defendant, but no specific charges connected with that incident were included in the criminal complaint.
Details regarding the alleged abuse were not disclosed by police, but the complaint alleged Lacasse inflicted an “injury resulting in a traumatic condition” on his girlfriend, identified only as “R.H.”
Court papers alleged that her child, identified as an 11-year-old boy with the initials “J.H.,” was exposed to “pain and mental suffering” because of what occurred.
The circumstances behind his attempts to silence the victims were not divulged.
According to authorities, the investigation did not begin until some time after the alleged attacks in July, but sufficient evidence was ultimately gathered to justify an arrest warrant.
Lacasse, who was taken into custody without incident on Thursday, has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.