Update: Suspect Arrested, Charged in Fatal Shooting at 6609 West Sam Houston Parkway South

harges have been filed against a suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of a man that occurred at 6609 West Sam Houston Parkway South (Beltway 8) about 1:05 a.m. on December 25, 2025.
The suspect, Jonathan Ross Mata, 39, is charged with murder in the 496th Criminal District Court. A booking photo of Mata is attached to this news release.
The victim is identified as Desmond Butler, 25.
HPD Homicide Division Sergeants M. Brady and M. Casso reported:
The victim drove his gray Honda Pilot into a gas station parking lot in the 9900 block of Bellaire.  As he pulled into the parking lot he passed the suspect’s black GMC, which was parked at one of the pumps.  As the victim drove past the Acadia, a Hispanic female got out of the GMC and began chasing the victim’s vehicle and attempting to open the back passenger door of the Honda.  At the same time, a Hispanic male exited the GMC and fired his gun at the victim’s vehicle as it exited the parking lot.  The victim attempted to drive north on the West Sam Houston Parkway feeder road 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.
Houston Fire Department paramedics transported Butler to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
Further investigation determined the suspect, identified as Mata, and his wife received a phone call from their daughter stating she was assaulted by her boyfriend. They drove to the location expecting their daughter to be dropped off. They believed the victim’s female passenger in the vehicle was their daughter. Mata and Mr. Butler did not know each other.
Jonathan Mata turned himself into HPD without incident today (Jan. 14). Mata was then booked into the Harris County Jail.

Jonathan Ross Mata
Update: ECR/JKS  1-14-26
JKS/SOA   1-7-25
Inc. #167755625