A Miami man who police say wore a red devil’s mask on Halloween has been arrested on suspicion he threw a deadly punch in the hours following an Oct. 31 celebration, authorities said Thursday.
Sagy Shachar, 30, was taken into custody Wednesday on one count of second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Patrick Shane Prevatte, according to a Miami police arrest report.
The attack happened about 1 a.m. Nov. 1 at Taverna Opa at 900 S. Miami Ave., police said.
There was a festive atmosphere at the restaurant at the time because people were celebrating Halloween, police said.
Then “for some reason, there was some sort of verbal altercation that quickly escalated into a physical one," said Miami Police spokesman Willie Moreno.
Prevatte, 40, and another man had gotten into an altercation which escalated to the point that both men pushed each other, police said.
That’s when Shachar, who wore a red devil’s mask, stepped in by punching Prevatte in the face, police said. The attack caused Prevatte to fall to the ground and become unconscious, police said.
Prevatte was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died, police said.
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Police initially said Prevatte was punched by a man wearing a distinct white hat, but after further investigating, police now say the man who wore the devil's mask was responsible.
Prevatte’s mother, Joyce Prevatte, of South Carolina, told NBC 6 in mid-November that it appeared to be “a tragic accident."
She said at the time that her son had recently moved to Miami from Tampa, excited about taking a new job at a technology company.
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"He had just gotten news of a promotion that day, and I think he was going out to celebrate,” Joyce Prevatte said at the time. “He ate at the restaurant from what we understand."
She said her son was a “very loving father” who was “very devoted” to his 6-year-old daughter. "He was always smiling,” his mother said.
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