An arrest has been made in the case of a missing man, whose remains were discovered last year inside a burned vehicle in Spring.
Dominique Johnson, who turned 48 on Wednesday, is being held on charges of murder and arson.
On October 1, 2024, firemen responded to a call about a burning car at a construction site between Ella Boulevard and Montgomery Road, near the Houston-Harris County line. After the fire was extinguished, a vehicle was left at the scene, later identified as a gray 2016 Buick La Crosse sedan owned by 44-year-old Winsolon Trahan.
Trahan had been reported missing the day before, and detectives discovered his skeletal remains days later inside the burnt truck.
Homicide detectives identified Johnson as a suspect after conducting many witness interviews, studying hours of security camera footage, processing forensic evidence, and scrutinizing technological devices over the course of months.
On March 31, 2025, a Harris County Grand Jury heard the case and accepted Johnson’s felony murder and arson charges. Johnson was already in jail in Harris County on an unrelated felony when he was arrested.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, during his questioning, officers noted Johnson had injuries consistent with flash burns. Investigators questioned Johnson’s explanation that a four-wheeler caused the injuries.
According to authorities, Trahan was last seen driving his automobile near Ella Boulevard and State Highway 249. Investigators eventually followed his vehicle to the Hampton/Beckley Street neighborhood of Houston, but all communication with him was lost.
According to the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, arson investigators first thought the remains recovered in the truck belonged to a dog, and the Medical Examiner’s Office was not alerted at the time. According to Fire Marshal officials, the car was towed within 24 hours, and no one knew it belonged to a missing person.
Trahan’s wife, Cameilia Trahan, expressed relief at the arrest but declined to comment at this time.