EFormer University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones, 35, was arrested Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting that killed his teammate, Bryan Pata, in 2006.
Jones, of Lake City, was arrested in Marion County on a first-degree murder warrant by Miami-Dade police and the United States Marshals Service, according to police spokesman lvaro Zabaleta.
Pata was expected to be one of the first picks in the 2007 NFL draft after his fourth and final season with the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old was shot multiple times outside his Kendall apartment on the night of November 7, 2006. Pata had returned from campus in his black car. Some witnesses claimed to have heard arguments and then shots. Despite having hundreds of dollars in his wallet, neither the vehicle nor the money was taken.
The researchers reported that after numerous interviews they were able to conclude that Pata and Jones, who played three seasons with the Hurricanes, had had several clashes before the shooting. Pata had previously struck his teammate during a physical altercation, according to authorities. And Pata’s brother told investigators that Jones had threatened to shoot him two months before his death. Despite his brother’s insistence, Pata never reported the threat.
Rashaun Jones, with number 38, remembers the deceased player before a match
In addition, Jones had assured investigators that he was in his own home the night of Pata’s death. But records show that Jones’ cell phone used different cell towers at the time of the shooting. A witness also identified Jones in the area at the time of the shooting from several images.
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