‘Monster’ Arrested for Sexual Assault, Murder and Burning of Hiker Found Dead Last Year: Sheriff

23-year-old Samuel Aquim Charon was arrested and charged this week with capital murder and tampering with a human corpse, in connection with the brutal killing of 63-year-old Stacey Dramiga. He’s currently being held on $1.25 million bond at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.

“That man … is a monster,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a press conference on Wednesday night, after Charon appeared stone-faced and didn’t respond to questions as he was brought out in handcuffs in front of reporters. During the presser, Salazar also detailed how Charon was apprehended, revealing how an arrest earlier this year connected him to the “grisly” crime.

According to Salazar, Dramiga’s remains were discovered on September 23, 2024 in DaFoste Park — which the sheriff noted was only blocks away from Charon’s home, where he was arrested on Wednesday.

Her family reported her missing the previous day, after she had gone out for a walk at the Salado Creek Greenway trails that morning. While Salazar said it wasn’t uncommon for her to be gone for several hours, authorities were alerted after 12 hours had passed without her return.

Her remains were found and identified the next day, with Salazar saying her cause of death was blunt penetrating trauma to the head. “She was also sexually assaulted and partially burned,” said the sheriff.

DNA from a then-unknown subject was collected from her body, as well as a rock authorities believed to be the murder weapon. That DNA was entered into a number of databases, though there were no initial matches.

While authorities worked over the next year to try and identify a suspect, they “got a call that broke this case wide open” on October 13, when Salazar said they were notified about a matching DNA sample collected when an inmate — identified as Charon — was booked into jail on April 9 for criminal mischief. It took a few months for that sample to work through the system, said Salazar, before his office obtained a new search warrant for a buccal swab.

While Salazar said they spoke with Charon when they took him in to obtain the sample, he said “that conversation didn’t yield much at all.” He added, “That cold demeanor you saw as he walking out was exactly what we were confronted with yesterday.”

Charon was released, but surveilled, until the sample was confirmed as a match for the other samples in the case, leading to his arrest.

Per Salazar, Charon was “devoid of any emotion” when questioned again, “even when confronted with some pretty grisly crime scene pictures.” According to News 4 San Antonio, Charon also denied involvement in the crime, reportedly saying, “That’s not possible” when told his DNA was found on the victim.

Salazar said the incident appears to be an “ambush” and “broad daylight attack,” adding that it’s believed Charon acted alone.

Charon’s next court date has been set for January 13, 2026.