Beverly Hills 'Millionaire Matchmaker' Contestant Faces Domestic Violence Charges

A 31-year-old financial adviser who appeared as a contestant on the Bravo dating series “Millionaire Matchmaker” was facing charges domestic violence charges today after his arrest in Beverly Hills.

John Bonavia was arrested on Sept. 12, after police responded about 1 a.m. to a disturbing the peace call in the 200 block of Spalding Drive, Beverly Hills police Lt. Lincoln Hoshino said.

“Officers encountered an uncooperative male (later identified as Bonavia) at the door,” Hoshino said. “Officers believed that there was a female in distress inside the location.”

Officers kicked the front door open and found a female “with significant facial and upper body injuries,” Hoshino said.

Bonavia was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, resisting arrest and a probation violation, while the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries, Hoshino said.

Bonavia appeared on “Millionaire Matchmaker” in March 2014, according to news reports.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Sept. 15 filed one count each of domestic violence with great bodily injury and making criminal threats, Hoshino said.

Bonavia was being held without bail at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. He is due to appear at the Airport Courthouse next Tuesday, Hoshino said.

Police did not immediately say why he was on probation, but according to one report he was arrested in May 2014 after another woman accused him of punching and choking her.

Another Los Angeles businessman who appeared on “Millionaire Matchmaker” has been charged with sexually assaulting three women.

Michael Leslie Bernback, 62, of Sherman Oaks is scheduled to be arraigned in a Van Nuys courtroom Monday on eight felony counts, including one count each of forcible rape, rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object and attempted sodomy by use of force, and two counts of administering a drug to commit rape, according to the district attorney’s office. He is also charged with three misdemeanor counts alleging he possessed MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB and cocaine.

The criminal complaint alleges that Bernback administered a controlled substance to one of the women and tied and bound another woman during an alleged attack.

The prosecution alleges that the crimes occurred March 23, 2014, Sept. 27, 2014 and this Aug. 11.

Bernback was arrested Aug. 13 by Los Angeles police and released on $300,000 bail. He was taken into custody again on Sept. 3 after his bail was increased to $2.1 million, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

If convicted as charged, he could face a possible maximum sentence of multiple life terms in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

City News Service