Topline: Investigators say the man fired at a passing vehicle after confusing it with one he believed was carrying his daughter, who was later found elsewhere.
Published: January 16, 2026 3:22 pm ET
Must Read
Background: A screenshot from surveillance video shows a man, later identified by police as Jonathan Ross Mata, firing a gun at a vehicle at a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway on Dec. 25, 2025. Inset: Jonathan Ross Mata. (via Houston Police)
HOUSTON, TX — Charges have been filed against a 39-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a stranger at a west Houston gas station on Christmas Day in what investigators say was a case of mistaken identity.
Jonathan Ross Mata is charged with murder in the shooting death of 25-year-old Desmond Butler, who was killed just after 1 a.m. Dec. 25 after pulling into a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway, authorities said. Mata turned himself in to the Houston Police Department on Jan. 14 and was booked into the Harris County Jail without incident, according to an HPD news release.
According to investigators with HPD’s Homicide Division, Butler drove his gray Honda Pilot into a gas station parking lot in the 9900 block of Bellaire Boulevard, passing a black GMC that was parked at a pump. As Butler drove by, a Hispanic woman exited the GMC and began chasing the Honda while attempting to open its rear passenger door, police said. At the same time, a Hispanic man got out of the GMC and fired at Butler’s vehicle as it exited the parking lot, according to HPD.
Butler was struck by gunfire as he attempted to drive north on the West Sam Houston Parkway feeder road, police said. His SUV crashed into a pole in an adjacent parking lot, and Houston Fire Department paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.
Surveillance video released by investigators shows the moments leading up to the shooting. The video depicts the black GMC parked at a pump, a gray SUV driving past it, and a woman running after the SUV before a man steps out of the GMC and opens fire as the vehicle pulls away.
HPD is searching for two suspects, a Hispanic male and female in a GMC Acadia, wanted in the fatal shooting of a man at 6609 W. Sam Houston Parkway South on Dec. 25.
Tips: HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or @CrimeStopHOU
More info: https://t.co/qrMwfytAmN pic.twitter.com/ebZx3WWMZJ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 7, 2026
Investigators later determined Mata and his wife believed Butler’s vehicle was carrying their daughter, according to HPD. Police said the couple had received a phone call from their daughter, who reported she had been assaulted by her boyfriend and needed to be picked up. Mata and his wife drove to the gas station expecting their daughter to be dropped off there, authorities said. They mistakenly believed a juvenile female passenger in Butler’s vehicle was their daughter, police said. Mata and Butler did not know each other.
Court documents cited by Click2Houston state that Butler was hit twice — once in the head and once in the back — before his vehicle crashed.
The juvenile passenger later told police that after the crash, Mata drove up to the vehicle, opened a door, looked inside and said something to the effect of, “Oh we were looking for our kidnapped daughter, I’m sorry, we will call 911,” before leaving the scene, according to Fox 26 Houston. Investigators said the juvenile then called 911. Crime scene investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings from the area, according to court records.
Through tips and additional investigation, detectives identified Mata as the shooter and the woman seen in the video as his wife, according to court documents. Mata later went to HPD headquarters with his attorney and admitted he was the person who fired the gun, the documents state.
Mata told investigators he fired two shots in an attempt to stop the vehicle, believing his daughter was inside, according to the documents. He also told police he did not realize Butler had been shot and did not call 911 because he was scared, investigators said.
Mata is charged with murder in the 496th Criminal District Court. According to Click2Houston, he is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Butler’s family said he was originally from Georgia and had been living in Houston while pursuing a career with Amazon, according to KHOU. His sister, Destiny Butler, said the family received the news of his death in the middle of the night on Christmas Day.
“He was resilient and he lived life with no regrets. He was always determined in life for the better,” she said. She added that she hopes for accountability in the case, saying, “You just made an assumption and you moved off the emotions. So with your emotions, you should be charged accordingly.”
Mata’s attorney, William Van Buren, told Click2Houston that Mata’s daughter had called her parents asking to be picked up after her boyfriend assaulted her and said Mata believed he was trying to stop the vehicle, not harm anyone. Van Buren said Mata is remorseful for Butler’s death.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Charged With Murder After Firing at Car He Believed Carried His Kidnapped Daughter
Investigators say the man fired at a passing vehicle after confusing it with one he believed was carrying his daughter, who was later found elsewhere.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 16, 2026 3:22 pm ET
Background: A screenshot from surveillance video shows a man, later identified by police as Jonathan Ross Mata, firing a gun at a vehicle at a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway on Dec. 25, 2025. Inset: Jonathan Ross Mata. (via Houston Police)
HOUSTON, TX — Charges have been filed against a 39-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a stranger at a west Houston gas station on Christmas Day in what investigators say was a case of mistaken identity.
Jonathan Ross Mata is charged with murder in the shooting death of 25-year-old Desmond Butler, who was killed just after 1 a.m. Dec. 25 after pulling into a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway, authorities said. Mata turned himself in to the Houston Police Department on Jan. 14 and was booked into the Harris County Jail without incident, according to an HPD news release.
According to investigators with HPD’s Homicide Division, Butler drove his gray Honda Pilot into a gas station parking lot in the 9900 block of Bellaire Boulevard, passing a black GMC that was parked at a pump. As Butler drove by, a Hispanic woman exited the GMC and began chasing the Honda while attempting to open its rear passenger door, police said. At the same time, a Hispanic man got out of the GMC and fired at Butler’s vehicle as it exited the parking lot, according to HPD.
Butler was struck by gunfire as he attempted to drive north on the West Sam Houston Parkway feeder road, police said. His SUV crashed into a pole in an adjacent parking lot, and Houston Fire Department paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.
Surveillance video released by investigators shows the moments leading up to the shooting. The video depicts the black GMC parked at a pump, a gray SUV driving past it, and a woman running after the SUV before a man steps out of the GMC and opens fire as the vehicle pulls away.
HPD is searching for two suspects, a Hispanic male and female in a GMC Acadia, wanted in the fatal shooting of a man at 6609 W. Sam Houston Parkway South on Dec. 25.
Tips: HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or @CrimeStopHOU
More info: https://t.co/qrMwfytAmN pic.twitter.com/ebZx3WWMZJ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 7, 2026
Investigators later determined Mata and his wife believed Butler’s vehicle was carrying their daughter, according to HPD. Police said the couple had received a phone call from their daughter, who reported she had been assaulted by her boyfriend and needed to be picked up. Mata and his wife drove to the gas station expecting their daughter to be dropped off there, authorities said. They mistakenly believed a juvenile female passenger in Butler’s vehicle was their daughter, police said. Mata and Butler did not know each other.
Court documents cited by Click2Houston state that Butler was hit twice — once in the head and once in the back — before his vehicle crashed.
The juvenile passenger later told police that after the crash, Mata drove up to the vehicle, opened a door, looked inside and said something to the effect of, “Oh we were looking for our kidnapped daughter, I’m sorry, we will call 911,” before leaving the scene, according to Fox 26 Houston. Investigators said the juvenile then called 911. Crime scene investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings from the area, according to court records.
Through tips and additional investigation, detectives identified Mata as the shooter and the woman seen in the video as his wife, according to court documents. Mata later went to HPD headquarters with his attorney and admitted he was the person who fired the gun, the documents state.
Mata told investigators he fired two shots in an attempt to stop the vehicle, believing his daughter was inside, according to the documents. He also told police he did not realize Butler had been shot and did not call 911 because he was scared, investigators said.
Mata is charged with murder in the 496th Criminal District Court. According to Click2Houston, he is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Butler’s family said he was originally from Georgia and had been living in Houston while pursuing a career with Amazon, according to KHOU. His sister, Destiny Butler, said the family received the news of his death in the middle of the night on Christmas Day.
“He was resilient and he lived life with no regrets. He was always determined in life for the better,” she said. She added that she hopes for accountability in the case, saying, “You just made an assumption and you moved off the emotions. So with your emotions, you should be charged accordingly.”
Mata’s attorney, William Van Buren, told Click2Houston that Mata’s daughter had called her parents asking to be picked up after her boyfriend assaulted her and said Mata believed he was trying to stop the vehicle, not harm anyone. Van Buren said Mata is remorseful for Butler’s death.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Charged With Murder After Firing at Car He Believed Carried His Kidnapped Daughter
Investigators say the man fired at a passing vehicle after confusing it with one he believed was carrying his daughter, who was later found elsewhere.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 16, 2026 3:22 pm ET
Background: A screenshot from surveillance video shows a man, later identified by police as Jonathan Ross Mata, firing a gun at a vehicle at a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway on Dec. 25, 2025. Inset: Jonathan Ross Mata. (via Houston Police)
HOUSTON, TX — Charges have been filed against a 39-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a stranger at a west Houston gas station on Christmas Day in what investigators say was a case of mistaken identity.
Jonathan Ross Mata is charged with murder in the shooting death of 25-year-old Desmond Butler, who was killed just after 1 a.m. Dec. 25 after pulling into a gas station near the Sam Houston Parkway, authorities said. Mata turned himself in to the Houston Police Department on Jan. 14 and was booked into the Harris County Jail without incident, according to an HPD news release.
According to investigators with HPD’s Homicide Division, Butler drove his gray Honda Pilot into a gas station parking lot in the 9900 block of Bellaire Boulevard, passing a black GMC that was parked at a pump. As Butler drove by, a Hispanic woman exited the GMC and began chasing the Honda while attempting to open its rear passenger door, police said. At the same time, a Hispanic man got out of the GMC and fired at Butler’s vehicle as it exited the parking lot, according to HPD.
Butler was struck by gunfire as he attempted to drive north on the West Sam Houston Parkway feeder road, police said. His SUV crashed into a pole in an adjacent parking lot, and Houston Fire Department paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.
Surveillance video released by investigators shows the moments leading up to the shooting. The video depicts the black GMC parked at a pump, a gray SUV driving past it, and a woman running after the SUV before a man steps out of the GMC and opens fire as the vehicle pulls away.
HPD is searching for two suspects, a Hispanic male and female in a GMC Acadia, wanted in the fatal shooting of a man at 6609 W. Sam Houston Parkway South on Dec. 25.
Tips: HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or @CrimeStopHOU
More info: https://t.co/qrMwfytAmN pic.twitter.com/ebZx3WWMZJ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 7, 2026
Investigators later determined Mata and his wife believed Butler’s vehicle was carrying their daughter, according to HPD. Police said the couple had received a phone call from their daughter, who reported she had been assaulted by her boyfriend and needed to be picked up. Mata and his wife drove to the gas station expecting their daughter to be dropped off there, authorities said. They mistakenly believed a juvenile female passenger in Butler’s vehicle was their daughter, police said. Mata and Butler did not know each other.
Court documents cited by Click2Houston state that Butler was hit twice — once in the head and once in the back — before his vehicle crashed.
The juvenile passenger later told police that after the crash, Mata drove up to the vehicle, opened a door, looked inside and said something to the effect of, “Oh we were looking for our kidnapped daughter, I’m sorry, we will call 911,” before leaving the scene, according to Fox 26 Houston. Investigators said the juvenile then called 911. Crime scene investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings from the area, according to court records.
Through tips and additional investigation, detectives identified Mata as the shooter and the woman seen in the video as his wife, according to court documents. Mata later went to HPD headquarters with his attorney and admitted he was the person who fired the gun, the documents state.
Mata told investigators he fired two shots in an attempt to stop the vehicle, believing his daughter was inside, according to the documents. He also told police he did not realize Butler had been shot and did not call 911 because he was scared, investigators said.
Mata is charged with murder in the 496th Criminal District Court. According to Click2Houston, he is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Butler’s family said he was originally from Georgia and had been living in Houston while pursuing a career with Amazon, according to KHOU. His sister, Destiny Butler, said the family received the news of his death in the middle of the night on Christmas Day.
“He was resilient and he lived life with no regrets. He was always determined in life for the better,” she said. She added that she hopes for accountability in the case, saying, “You just made an assumption and you moved off the emotions. So with your emotions, you should be charged accordingly.”
Mata’s attorney, William Van Buren, told Click2Houston that Mata’s daughter had called her parents asking to be picked up after her boyfriend assaulted her and said Mata believed he was trying to stop the vehicle, not harm anyone. Van Buren said Mata is remorseful for Butler’s death.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
