A 34-year-old Houston man is now facing the most serious charge on the books after a Canal Street assault last summer turned fatal weeks later.
Houston police arrested Anthony Cerda on Friday, June 12, 2026, and charged him with capital murder in connection with an August 20, 2025, attack that left 54-year-old Francisco Chura critically injured. Cerda was taken into custody by the Houston Police Department's Eastside Division Gang Unit and booked into the Harris County Jail, according to the initial report.
Investigators say the assault happened at a business on Canal Street, where Chura suffered multiple blunt-force trauma wounds. He was taken to an area hospital and died there on September 7, 2025.
HPD patrol officers had first responded to 7801 Canal St. on August 20, 2025, where they found Chura with those multiple blunt-force injuries, MyTexasDaily reported. Prosecutors later presented the case in the 232nd Criminal District Court, where the capital murder charge was filed.
Capital murder and what it means
Capital murder is Texas' highest-level homicide charge, reserved for killings that involve specific aggravating factors. A conviction can result in life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Texas Penal Code § 19.03 spells out what elevates a killing to capital murder, including circumstances such as multiple victims or child victims, according to Justia.
What’s next
Cerda is expected to make his first appearance in the 232nd Criminal District Court. Pretrial dates, along with any decision on whether prosecutors will pursue the death penalty, will hinge on the charging documents and evidence that surface in upcoming hearings.
HPD credited the Eastside Division Gang Unit with Cerda's arrest and booking, and the initial public details of the investigation track with the department's account as summarized by MyTexasDaily.
MyTexasDaily has attributed its information to an HPD press release. As of this story's publication, HPD's online public news page and available court dockets did not show a separate press release or booking photo for this case, so our reporting relies on the HPD account relayed by MyTexasDaily. This article will be updated if court filings or an official HPD release are later posted.
