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Miami (August 19, 2021) – Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III announce the arrest of 35-year-old Rashaun Travon Jones for the November 7, 2006 shooting death of 22-year-old Bryan Pata. Mr. Pata suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head in the parking lot of the Colony Apartments located at 9315 SW 77 Avenue, Miami, Florida.
“The Pata family has waited a long time to see the individual they had believed involved in Bryan’s death arrested and charged,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “While the time needed to build sufficient evidence to ethically charge in a homicide can sometimes feel endless, families should know that the passion and determination of police and prosecutors to resolve unsolved cases does not diminish. The commitment of the Miami-Dade Police Department and of my prosecutors and staff to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice never diminishes.”
Bryan Pata was an outstanding defensive lineman for the University of Miami football team and was expected to be an early selection in the 2007 National Football League Draft. Through numerous interviews, police learned that Pata allegedly had previous on-going issues with football teammate Jones. Pata was much larger physically than Jones and it was learned that allegedly Pata had previously beaten Jones during a physical altercation. Additionally, about two months prior to the homicide, Pata had told his brother Edwin that Jones had allegedly threatened to shoot him in the head. Despite Edwin’s plea that Pata immediately report the incident to then Head Football Coach Larry Coker, Pata did not make such a report.
During the investigation, it was learned that Jones made threats to other individuals, often with the alleged use of a small caliber firearm described as a .22 or .38 caliber weapon.
After the homicide, police investigators interviewed Jones on two separate occasions. During both interviews, Jones told investigators that on the night of Pata’s death, he was at his residence (7378 SW 80 Street, Miami, Florida) and had never left. However, investigators obtained data records for Jones’ cellular telephone which revealed that on November 7, 2006, at 6:41 p.m., Jones’ cellular telephone was allegedly utilizing a tower located at 7200 SW 87 Avenue, Miami, Florida. Pata’s homicide occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. The distance from the location of the cell site to the homicide is 2.2 miles or 7 minutes away. Additionally, at 7:40 p.m., Jones’ cellular telephone was allegedly utilizing a cellular tower located at 6781
SW 72 Street, Miami, Florida. A coincidental eyewitness in the area at the time of the shooting allegedly identified the suspect in a photo lineup.
Jones was arrested in Lake County and is awaiting transfer to Miami-Dade County.
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For further information, please contact Ed Griffith, Public Information Officer at (305) 547-0535 or EdGriffith@MiamiSAO.com.