Two men from Venezuela are accused of strangling and raping 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray and leaving her to die in a creek in Houston, Texas.
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, were arrested by Houston police Thursday and charged with murder in connection with the strangulation death of Jocelyn Nungaray.
Police officials Martinez and Ramos Confirmed The group was originally from Venezuela, it was revealed at a press conference, but questions about how and when they arrived in the United States were referred to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
On the night of June 16, Jocelyn snuck out of her apartment after her mother went to bed. Her boyfriend was the last person to speak to the girl. Shortly after midnight, Jocelyn was seen on surveillance video at the 7-Eleven with Martinez and Ramos.
According to police, Jocelyn, Martinez and Ramos left a 7-Eleven convenience store and made their way to a nearby bridge. Police allege that between 1 and 2 a.m., Martinez and Ramos strangled and raped Jocelyn, then dumped her body in a creek near the bridge.
HPD is now calling two men suspects and says they are both facing murder charges. The two were seen on camera walking under the bridge after meeting the girl. HPD says the men are from Venezuela and contacted Homeland Security to verify their immigration status. pic.twitter.com/SiFvAGHnsh
— Brooke Taylor (@ABC13Brooke) June 20, 2024
A woman called police around 6 a.m. saying she saw a body in the creek. When police arrived they found Jocelyn’s body. Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungarei, said she woke up that morning to find her daughter gone from their apartment.
The mother jumped in her car and called her daughter’s cell phone to get to the creek. When they arrived, police officers were searching the scene. The mother was informed about an hour later that police had found Jocelyn’s body in the creek.
Family and friends setting GoFundMe page for Jocelyn’s family.
At a press conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire (D) said he wanted Martinez and Ramos to be held without bail until their murder trial. Both suspects are currently in the custody of the Houston Police Department.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. here.
