Horrifying new details have been revealed in the murder investigation of a 12-year-old girl who was found strangled in a Texas creek only hours after sneaking out of her home.
Jocelyn Nungaray’s body was found floating in a bayou near to her Houston home on Monday, after she snuck out of the house at 10pm.
Two suspects, Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, have been charged with capital murder.
Police have revealed the pair, who were in the U.S. illegally from Venezuela, allegedly lured Jocelyn under a bridge, where they held her for more than two hours, possibly gang-raping her after they tied her up and took her pants off.
When the duo were done with their depraved deeds, they allegedly killed the child by strangling her, before throwing her body into Greenpoint Creek.
Prosecutors say the case would not qualify for the death penalty unless evidence is found that shows that the girl was sexually assaulted.
Investigators are still awaiting the result of tests to confirm whether Jocelyn was raped.
Jocelyn Nungaray’s body was found floating in a bayou near to her Houston home on Monday after the 12-year-old snuck out of the house at 10pm on Sunday night
Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, has been charged with capital murder. He was previously arrested close to El Paso on March 14 but was let go with a notice to appear at a later date
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, has also been charged with capital murder. Ramos had previously been arrested on May 28, near El Paso, but was released
Both Rangel and Ramos had both been arrested within the last few months by U.S. Border Patrol but were released. It is not clear when the pair entered the country.
According to ICE, Border Patrol stopped Rangel near El Paso on March 14 only to be let go with a notice to appear.
Months later, Ramos was also arrested on May 28, near El Paso. A judge ordered him to appear in court later. Both men are now in the Harris County Jail.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is requesting bail be set at $1 million each.
Police had issued images of two persons of interest seen with the Jocelyn hours before her death after she had crept out of her home late on Sunday night.
This final image of Jocelyn shows her entering a convenience store close to her home. It is there where she ran into the two men allegedly responsible for ending her life
It is believed Jocelyn first encountered the two men when she went to a convenience store
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, pictured, have now been charged with capital murder following a manhunt for the suspects
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, is pictured during his arrest. Police said the suspects resided within the same apartment complex as the victim
Then men are alleged to have subjected Jocelyn to a two hour ordeal before throwing her into the creek below the bridge
Officers said the suspects lived on the same block as the girl and bumped into the pre-teen, walking with her to a convenience store.
Surveillance footage sees her calling her 13-year-old boyfriend from the convenience store at around midnight that night and later walking into the store itself.
Speaking to ABC13, passerby Billie Jackson explained how he found the girl’s body.
‘I drove past, and when I looked up the creek, I thought it was a mannequin. I did a U-turn, and I stopped on the bridge, put my flashers on, looked down, and realized it was someone. I parked right here and called 911 immediately.’
Jocelyn’s grieving mother, Alexis Nungary, is struggling to process what happened.
‘It’s like it’s not real,’ she told Click2Houston. ‘I keep hearing everything, and I hear it and it’s not registering.’
She recalled telling her daughter on Sunday not to stay up too late, as she was joining her at work the next day. It was the last words ever spoken to her daughter.
By 3am on Monday, Alexis said she noticed Jocelyn’s cat was ‘going crazy,’ but assumed the cat was with her daughter, who always slept with her pet at night.
It wasn’t until she woke up at 6am and started her normal routine to wake up her five-year-old son and Jocelyn that she noticed her daughter was missing.
Alexis also said that she does not know why Jocelyn snuck out of the house, though she noted that she has struggled in recent months with her mental health.
‘I don’t know why, what possessed her to walk around late at night in this area out of all places,’ Alexis said.
‘I always told her to never leave the house, never leave unattended, always be safe. There’s people around here that are crazy. I don’t think she ever thought it would face her.’
She and other family members have described the preteen as a loving and caring child.
Family members have described the preteen as a loving and caring child
Her grieving mother, Alexis Nungaray, pictured, is struggling to process what happened
Police in Houston had issued a notice saying both men were persons of interest in the case
Jocelyn’s body was found in a creek close to her Houston home
Her uncle Joamel said: ‘Jocy was a smart, loving, nurturing young lady, She brightened up the room every time she came by and was loved by everyone around.’
Alexis also described her as the ‘greatest friend’ who was ‘very goofy. ‘She had aspirations for life,’ Alexis said. ‘She loved everyone, was so kind.’
Alexis said she suspects the two men either live in the apartment complex or may have walked to the store from a nearby state park.
‘I want karma to hit them, I’m angry,’ Alexis added. ‘They took advantage of her.
‘She’s so young, she’s 12. I want justice. I want whoever has seen them to please call police. They took my baby away.’
A GoFundMe has now been set up to pay for Jocelyn’s funeral which as of Friday evening had raised almost $40,000 dollars.
‘Her family was not prepared for such a loss, and [need] help to give her daughter the memorial she deserves, to honor her memory and to say our last goodbyes,’ it says.
