Houston officials announced on Thursday that they have arrested two men in connection with the death of a 12-year-old Texas girl. The victim’s body was discovered in a creek on Monday, and the authorities have been investigating the case since then.
During a news conference, officials reported that 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray had left her home on Sunday night without permission. According to surveillance footage, she was last seen entering a 7-Eleven just after midnight. The video showed her conversing with two men.
Houston authorities have arrested 21-year-old Johan Jose Rangel Martinez and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, who were roommates, on a preliminary charge of capital murder. As of Thursday afternoon, the two have not been booked on any charges yet.
In an interview with Houston TV station KPRC, Alexis Nungaray shared that she had seen her daughter before 10 p.m. on Sunday but realized that she was missing around 6 a.m. the next day.
The GoFundMe site features a photo of Jocelyn Nungaray.
According to KTRK-TV in Houston, while Jocelyn was at the store, her 13-year-old boyfriend was on the phone with her and overheard her speaking with two adults.
During a press conference on Thursday, Lt. Stephen Hope from the Houston Police Department revealed that the victim’s boyfriend and his family had been highly cooperative with the authorities during the investigation.
According to Alexis Nungaray, she always advised her to stay safe by never leaving the house unattended as there are unpredictable people in the vicinity. “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,” Nungaray shared with KPRC.
According to Hope, the girl was allegedly abandoned by the bridge as the two men made their way towards Martinez and Ramos’ apartment in the south.
According to KPRC, Alexis Nungaray shared that she used her daughter’s phone to locate her and found it near the creek the next morning. Law enforcement officials were already searching the area when she arrived. Sadly, she received confirmation of her daughter’s passing just an hour later.
According to KPRC, the cause of Jocelyn’s death was determined to be strangulation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
On Thursday, authorities took Ramos and Martinez into custody at their apartment. During a search of their home, officers reportedly discovered evidence linked to Jocelyn’s death.
According to KPRC, the mother of the deceased is still struggling to accept the loss of her daughter.
“I feel like it’s all surreal. Even though I hear everything from everyone, nothing seems to register,” she expressed.
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