Father charged with murder in apparent case of mistaken identity, police say

(HOUSTON) — A man has been arrested and charged with murder in an apparent case of mistaken identity that turned deadly early Christmas Day, according to police.

Jonathan Ross Mata, 39, was charged on Wednesday with the murder of 25-year-old Desmond Butler, according to the Houston Police Department.

Investigators said that Mata and his wife received a phone call from their daughter telling them she had been assaulted by her boyfriend. They then drove to a gas station parking lot in the 9900 block of Bellaire, expecting their daughter to be dropped off, according to Houston Police.

As Butler’s gray Honda Pilot drove into the parking lot around 1 a.m., police said he passed Mata’s black GMC, which was parked at one of the pumps. As Butler drove past, a woman got out of the GMC and began chasing his vehicle and attempting to open the back passenger door of the Honda, believing Mata’s daughter was inside, police said.

At the same time, Mata exited the GMC and fired his gun at the victim’s vehicle as it exited the parking lot, according to police.

Butler, police said, then attempted to drive away when he was struck by gunfire and crashed his vehicle into a pole in an adjacent parking lot. The suspects got back into their vehicle and drove northbound on the feeder road, authorities said.

Butler was taken to a local hospital by paramedics and was later pronounced dead, according to police.

Mata and Butler did not know each other, police said.

Mata turned himself into police on Wednesday and has been booked into the Harris County Jail.