Man Arrested in Central Southwest Houston After Body Found in Burned Vehicle
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A man has been arrested and charged with murder following a Christmas morning investigation that began with a vehicle fire and ended with the discovery of a homicide.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the 1100 block of Fellows Road in the Central Southwest area at around 4:10 a.m. on Thursday, December 25, 2025, after a vehicle fire was reported. Once the Houston Fire Department extinguished the flames, deputies discovered the body of an adult male inside the vehicle. During the recovery process, investigators determined the victim had suffered a gunshot wound.
Homicide detectives, crime scene investigators, and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences worked to identify the victim and determine what led up to the killing. The victim was later identified as 25-year-old Juan Francisco Benitez.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said follow-up investigation by HCSO Homicide Detectives led to the identification of 44-year-old Ernesto Bustamante as the suspect. Bustamante was arrested by HCSO District 3 deputies and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with Murder and Tampering with Evidence.
Investigators learned Benitez and Bustamante had been together at Bustamante’s residence when an argument broke out. The dispute allegedly escalated, ending with Bustamante shooting Benitez. Detectives say Bustamante then loaded Benitez into a truck, drove to a wooded area along Fellows Road, and set the vehicle on fire with Benitez’s body still inside.
The follow-up investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
