A 22-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a transgender woman whose body was discovered in southwest Houston last month, court records show.
Persia Amarra Conway, 33, was found on May 25 in the 8900 block of Country Creek by a park walker on the trail. An autopsy determined she had suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
Nearly a month later, Daniel Ceron was arrested Wednesday evening and booked into Harris County Jail overnight, records show. He has since been charged with murder in connection with Conway’s death.
What Court Documents Reveal
According to court documents, Ceron allegedly beat Conway to death with his hands. Surveillance video also captured him disposing of physical evidence at the scene — including a cell phone, a pair of slippers, and pieces of acrylic nails — before walking away.
A woman later contacted authorities stating that Ceron had confessed to the killing.
An AutoZone name tag bearing the name “Trinity C” — identified in documents as Ceron’s preferred name — was also recovered at the scene. Records show Ceron was separately wanted on a burglary case in Fort Bend County, where he allegedly stole from an AutoZone store where he had been employed.
Victim’s Mother Speaks Out
Conway’s mother, Michelle Simmons, who was reached at her home in Georgia, says she played an active role in identifying the suspect before his arrest.
“When I started focusing on the video and the photo, I was like, ‘Oh My God, guys, this is the same guy I gave to HPD last week,'” Simmons said.
She said community members began sending her photos and footage of a man matching Ceron’s description — including a video in which he appeared to confess to the murder, recorded two days before his arrest.
“The young lady said, ‘Mama Michelle, I believe this guy has something to do with Persia’s death,'” Simmons recalled.
Simmons also revealed she has received death threats since speaking out about her daughter’s case.
“My words to them is that I pray that you’re never in the situation that I am in,” she said.
Police have not yet released a motive. Additional details on how Ceron and Conway knew each other were not immediately available.
