A former University of Miami football player was arrested for the 2006 murder of his teammate, the Miami-Dade County Police Department announced on Thursday.
Rashaun Jones, 35, was arrested in Ocala and is awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade. He is charged with first-degree murder for the execution-style shooting death of Bryan Pata.
According to the arrest warrant, 22-year-old Pata pulled into his apartment complex after practice in November of 2006 when he was shot in the head. At the time, police learned that Pata had ongoing issues with Jones, and he was questioned twice.
The two teammates had reportedly been in a physical altercation, in which Pata had beaten Jones.
Pata’s brother, Edwin, told police that Jones had threatened to shoot him in the head two months before the shooting. Edwin pleaded with his brother to report the threat to his head coach, but Pata did not.
When questioned, Jones maintained he was at home the night of the murder. However, investigators discovered that data from Jones’ cellphone placed him near the crime scene. He was also identified in a lineup by an eyewitness.
“I can only hope that this brings the Pata family a little bit of closure and a little bit of satisfaction,” Detective Juan Segovia said.
The arrest comes just nine months after an ESPN investigative report that revealed errors in the cold case investigation and reported Pata’s family’s frustrations with the investigation.
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