Repeat Offender Arrested on Suspected Protection Order Violations in Benton County
Yesterday morning, Benton County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Robert Jesus Santana-Morales, 32, booking him into the Benton County Corrections Department.
According to Benton County jail records, Santana-Morales was booked at 4:59 a.m. and is accused of two counts of violating a protection order.
The alleged offenses occurred earlier that same morning. He is currently being held on a $1,000 bond.
Prior Arrests
This weekend’s arrest adds to a growing list of legal troubles for Santana-Morales, who already has active criminal charges for failing to comply with court orders, pending in neighboring Franklin County, according to court records.
A jury trial for that case is currently scheduled for June 22, 2026.
Jail records reveal that Santana-Morales has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement over the past year. In the summer of 2025, he faced multiple bookings on allegations that included third-degree malicious mischief and out-of-county warrants.
Court documents further outline a prior criminal history. In August 2023, Santana-Morales pleaded guilty to felony charges in Benton County.
Following those convictions, he was sentenced to 13 months in the custody of the Washington State Department of Corrections for one case, and 9 months in the local county jail for a separate 2021 case.
Furthermore, a January 2020 conviction in Franklin County resulted in a 30-day jail sentence. As a condition of that 2020 sentencing, a judge formally ordered Santana-Morales to surrender his concealed pistol license and stripped him of his right to own or possess firearms.
Most Recent Arrest
According to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the weekend arrest occurred after deputies responded to the 200000 block of E 194 PR after receiving a report that an individual had allegedly discharged a firearm near occupied structures.
During their investigation, deputies learned Santana‑Morales is the respondent in an active no‑contact order prohibiting firearm possession and has prior felony convictions for theft of a motor vehicle and residential burglary, the Sheriff’s Office stated.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that “deputies deployed a drone to assist in the search of the suspect,” leading to his apprehension.
What is he doing in the United States in the first place? Carrying a firearm, much less discharging it could get him put away for years but it will be the first thing pled away.
Perspective is everything. I can imagine a story like this written about me by those who have reunited my life. The difference is that I've never actually committed a crime or harmed anyone. Truth in journalism is so critical.
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