Dominique Johnson Arrested; – An arrest has been made in connection with the case of a missing man whose remains were discovered last year in a burned vehicle in Spring.
Dominique Johnson, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Wednesday, has been charged with murder and arson and is currently in custody. On October 1, 2024, firefighters responded to a report of a vehicle fire at a construction site situated between Ella Boulevard and Montgomery Road, along the Houston and Harris County borders. After extinguishing the flames, they found a vehicle—later confirmed to be a gray 2016 Buick La Crosse sedan registered to 44-year-old Winsolon Trahan—at the scene.
Trahan had been reported missing the day prior, and investigators located his skeletal remains inside the burned vehicle days later. Following an extensive investigation that included numerous witness interviews, analysis of hours of security footage, forensic evidence processing, and examination of electronic devices, Homicide Detectives identified Johnson as a suspect.
On March 31, 2025, the c
ase was presented to a Harris County Grand Jury, which subsequently approved felony charges of murder and arson against Johnson. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was already in custody at the Harris County Jail on an unrelated matter.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, detectives observed that Johnson had injuries consistent with flash burns during their interview. He attributed these injuries to an incident involving a four-wheeler, but investigators found his explanation unconvincing.
Authorities reported that Trahan was last seen driving his car near Ella Boulevard and State Highway 249. Investigators later traced his vehicle to the Hampton/Beckley Street area in Houston, but all communication with him was lost thereafter.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office indicated that initial assessments by arson investigators led them to believe the remains found in the vehicle belonged to a dog, and the Medical Examiner’s Office was not notified at that time. Fire Marshal officials noted that the car was towed within 24 hours, and at that moment, it was not known that the vehicle was associated with a missing person.
