PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia police have made an arrest in the murder of a Thorndale, Pa. man whose body was discovered after a fire at a posh Old City Philadelphia hotel.

Authorities say a transgender prostitute, Herman Burton, who has an extensive criminal history, was arrested in connection to the death of 49-year-old Patrick Brady.

“He was arrested in the 1200 block of Spruce Street without incident by the homicide detectives. Still in his possession were some of the items taken from the decedent,” said Philadelphia homicide captain James Clark on Thursday.

According to police, Brady had been robbed, beaten, and strangled. Police say the hotel surveillance video shows Brady checking into the hotel Friday evening.

Capt. Clark explained, “Sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning, he led an unidentified male into his room. For whatever reason, there was an extreme physical altercation inside of the room.”

At a news conference, police identified that male as Burton.

“We don’t know how it got the point where he entered the room. We don’t know was it a prior contact? Was it a phone call? Only thing we know is that at some point, the defendant showed up at his room, was obviously led in, there was no force through the door,” Capt. Clark said.

Saturday morning, Brady’s body was found in an eighth-floor room of the Omni Hotel, at 4th and Chestnut Streets. Police say the room was intentionally set ablaze by Burton to cover up the crime.

The entire 14-story building was evacuated but the fire was confined to Brady’s room.

Brady, who worked in the information technology department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, would at times stay at the Omni Hotel instead of commuting back home to Chester County. He leaves behind a wife and a nine-year-old daughter.

Reported by Elizabeth Hur, CBS 3