Jonathan Ross Mata faces a murder charge for fatally shooting Desmond Butler on Christmas Day 2025 in Houston, Texas, after mistaking him for his daughter’s boyfriend amid a panicked rescue attempt.​​
Incident Details
Mata and his wife received a call from their 19-year-old daughter around 12:30 a.m., reporting an assault by her boyfriend and requesting pickup initially from her cousin’s apartment, later believed to be a Shell gas station on Bellaire Boulevard. Surveillance video captured their black GMC Acadia at the station when Butler’s gray Honda Pilot arrived with a female passenger; Mata’s wife chased the vehicle on foot, and Mata fired two shots at it on the nearby West Sam Houston Parkway feeder road, striking Butler twice in the head and back. Butler crashed into a light pole, and the couple approached, opened the door, realized their daughter was not inside, apologized, and left without calling 911.​​
Arrest and Confession
Mata and his wife turned themselves in on January 12, 2026, with an attorney; Mata confessed to firing shots to stop the vehicle, claiming he panicked and did not know he hit Butler. He surrendered fully on January 14, was charged with murder in the 496th Criminal District Court, and posted $50,000 bond. His next court date is February 25, 2026.
