CORAL GABLES, Fla. – It’s been 15 years since the murder of former University of Miami football player Bryan Pata.
On Thursday, officials announced the arrest of Rashaun Jones in Pata’s killing.
Jones, 35, is a former Hurricanes teammate of Pata.
Pata’s brother Edwin now works with the University of Miami football team.
He told Local 10 News he feels a closeness to his brother and is doing what he can for his legacy to live on.
“He was the typical little brother, funny, entertaining, high energy,” said Pata.
The two were even rivals on the football field.
The last time they saw one another was on the field when Brian’s Hurricanes played Edwin’s Florida State Seminoles in 2006.
Pata says even then, he felt something was off.
“I remember hugging him and saying, ‘I can’t feel you. You feel distant from me,’” Pata said.
Two months later his brother was murdered outside his home.
“I wish I was there to protect him and be there for him,” Pata said. “For him to die like that, alone like that.”
Jones is accused of shooting Pata to death outside his Kendall apartment complex.
Jones and Pata had some bad blood, at one point getting into a fist fight.
While Jones was suspected, it would be 15 years before he was arrested, last week in Marion County.
The arrest brings some relief to the Pata family, but it’s only the beginning of a long road to justice
“People think they can get away with stuff, can live a normal life for 15 years, but karma has its way, God has his way,” said Pata.