Texas father guns down innocent man he thought was his daughter’s kidnapper

A father from Texas has been arrested for allegedly shooting an Amazon manager after mistaking him for another man he believed was kidnapping his daughter. Jonathan Ross Mata, 39, was captured on CCTV opening fire on a vehicle being driven by Desmond Butler, 25, which sadly led to the younger man’s death.

The altercation took place outside of a gas station in Houston around 1AM on Dec. 25. Footage obtained by KHOU 11 shows a man who appears to be Mata and his wife exiting their vehicle. The wife is then seen running after the car driven by Butler as he pulls out of the gas station. The man then aims a pistol at the moving car and fires off a few shots with Butler’s car crashing out of frame.

The tragic altercation explained

When the footage of the incident was initially released authorities were unsure of the motive but as of this week it appears the mystery has been solved and it is quite tragic. According to the NY Post, Mata and his wife had received a frantic phone call from their 19-year-old daughter who told them that she had been attacked by her boyfriend.

She asked them to pick her up from her cousin’s apartment, but later on the couple believed she was going to be dropped off by her boyfriend at the gas station. Unfortunately for Desmond Butler, this is when he arrived at the scene with a woman riding in the passenger seat. Butler allegedly looked similar to the boyfriend and so the worried parents assumed that’s who the 25-year-old Amazon manager was. The woman in the passenger likely only confirmed their suspicions.

When Butler drove out of the gas station it seems Mata and his wife may have assumed the worst which may have prompted the alleged shooting.

The aftermath

The shooting resulted in Butler crashing his car into a pole. Mata and his wife then approached the car and opened the door. Upon realizing it wasn’t their daughter and her boyfriend in the car they allegedly apologized and said they would call 911 before driving away.

First responders were quick to arrive at the scene but by then the couple had already left. Desmond Butler was rushed to hospital but unfortunately died from his injuries.

Jonathan Ross Mata turned himself in on Wednesday and has been charged with murder. He is currently being held on a $50,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on February 25th. Meanwhile, Butler’s sister has claimed that the family is devastated over their tragic loss.