SAN ANTONIO- An intense chase and shootout with police and now one man is dead. Police said 25- year old Jose Elias Mata shot a deputy Friday afternoon and now his family is looking for answers and wants to know exactly what happened to their son.
Joey Mata said hours before his son's death he spoke to him over the phone adding that he had a gut feeling his son was in some sort of trouble.
“With his conversation and his voice, I felt something was wrong and I kept asking him what's wrong, what's wrong, are you OK. He said, Dad I’m ok, I’m at peace with God. I'm going to be ok Dad”.
Friday morning was the last time Joey Mata spoke to his son, Jose Elias Mata.
Joey says his son had been in trouble with the law before adding that he had served time in the past for breaking into a home. But, he thought his son was walking a straight line, although Joey does believe there is some truth to what happened Friday afternoon when Hollywood Park Police were pursuing a stolen Tahoe. Joey said his son was behind the wheel.
“I believe that he was driving a stolen car, but why would they kill a person driving a stolen car,” asked the suspect’s father.
Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said Deputy Manuel Herrera picked up the chase on I-35 near Judson. The sheriff said that's when Mata crashed and shot the deputy twice, hitting him once in the arm, and once in the leg, and then stealing his patrol car. Then about a mile down the road police said Mata ran off, shooting at San Antonio police as they tried to chase him.
Joey spoke to the woman who was in the vehicle with his son.
“I said Jeanette, why were they shooting, where did he get the gun from? She said I don't know he got a gun and he started shooting at the cops. And I was like why, why were they shooting at the cops?”
Mata was shot dead. His family got official word Saturday morning that he had died. And now they simply hope to get more answers as to what led up to Mata driving a stolen vehicle in the first place.
