In a tragic and horrifying case, two men from Venezuela have been charged with the brutal strangulation and rape of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose body was found in a Houston creek, sparking outrage and demands for justice.
Two men originally from Venezuela are accused of strangling and raping 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, leaving her for dead in a creek in Houston, Texas.
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were arrested and charged with capital murder by the Houston Police Department on Thursday in connection with Jocelyn's death.
At a news conference, police officials confirmed that Martinez and Ramos are originally from Venezuela. Questions about their arrival 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 sleep. She last spoke to her boyfriend before being seen on surveillance cameras at a 7/11 convenience store with Martinez and Ramos shortly after midnight.
According to police, the trio left the store and ended up at a nearby bridge. Between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., Martinez and Ramos allegedly strangled Jocelyn, raped her, and left her body in the creek.
Around 6:00 a.m., a woman reported seeing a body in the creek. Responding officers discovered Jocelyn’s body. Her mother, Alexis Nungaray, woke up to find her daughter missing and used her cell phone’s location to track her to the creek, where she encountered police canvassing the scene. She was informed about an hour later that her daughter's body had been found.
Family friends have set up a GoFundMe page to support Jocelyn’s family.
At the press conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire (D) expressed his hope that Martinez and Ramos will be held without bail until the murder trial. Both suspects are currently in Houston Police Department custody.
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