The suspects were spotted on surveillance cameras with Jocelyn Nungaray before she was found dead early Monday.
HOUSTON — BREAKING: Two men have been charged with capital murder in the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the Houston Police Department announced Thursday.
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were seen on surveillance cameras with the little girl before she was found dead in a north Houston creek early Monday.
The suspects were arrested Thursday morning at the Canfield Lakes apartments where they lived together. They’re the same men previously identified as persons of interest in Jocelyn’s death.
“Our team has worked tirelessly tracking evidence in this case,” Lt. Stephen Hope said at a news conference.
KHOU 11 cameras were at the complex Thursday morning when HPD forensic investigators were removing evidence from a unit. Witnesses provided images they say show the suspects being questioned.
Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said the department worked around the clock to identify the killers and begin the process of finding justice for Jocelyn and her family.
“Their hard work paid off. We were able to find video and trace the movements of the suspects and Jocelyn, all the way to the bayou where she was murdered,” the chief said.
Investigators used surveillance cameras to track the movements of Martinez and Ramos before and after Jocelyn was strangled and dumped in the creek. They said the suspects ate at a restaurant on Northborough late Sunday and left on foot. They met Jocelyn near Kuykendahl Road and the three walked to a nearby convenience store. They left the store and walked to the bridge on West Rankin Road where Jocelyn was killed.
Surveillance cameras help identify suspects
The arrests come a day after new surveillance photos obtained by KHOU 11 News showed Jocelyn with one of the persons of interest. In one photo, they are walking into the 7 Eleven convenience store. In the other, they’re in a parking lot. Jocelyn was looking at her phone and the taller man walked beside her.
Earlier this week, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Jocelyn was at a convenience store when she spoke with her 13-year-old boyfriend on the phone after she snuck out of her family’s apartment late Sunday. The boyfriend told police that he could hear Jocelyn talking with two grown-ups.
Hours later, Jocelyn was found in shallow water below the bridge on West Rankin Road near I-45. She’d been strangled and Whitmire said she was also raped.
Satterwhite said they still want to hear from possible witnesses as they work to build a solid case against Martinez and Ramos.
‘We are going to be watching you’
At Thursday’s news conference, the mayor said this case was personal for him.
“As a grandfather and a father, it doesn’t get any worse,” Whitmire said.
He credited HPD’s tireless efforts as they combined “old-fashioned police work with new technology” to identify the suspects.
The mayor also credited members of the community and area businesses as everyone came together for Jocelyn and her family.
Now that the accused killers are in custody, Whitmire said it’s up to the courts to do their job.
“I want to reach out to the court system, the justice system, we are going to be watching you,” Whitmire said. “We have filed charges. If there is any circumstance where you deny bail, this is it.”
‘They took away my baby’
Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, was told about the arrests before the charges were made public.
On Wednesday, she described her daughter as spunky, goofy, and loving.
“I’m like angry that they took advantage of her. She was so young. She was 12, you took my baby away, you took her away,” Alexis told us through tears. “Now, I get to let her little brother know his older sister is never coming home.”
Alexis said she was a teen mom when she had Jocelyn and she was excited to see what the future held for her daughter.
“She turned into a beautiful, beautiful young lady,” Alexis said. “I was really looking forward to seeing how she was gonna be and they took every opportunity away from me and my family.”
She doesn’t know why Jocelyn snuck out of their apartment Sunday night.
“I always told her, ‘Never leave the house, never leave unattended, always be safe. There’s people around here that are crazy,'” Alexis said. “I just hope, I hope they are found because Jocelyn was a fighter. She fought hard. She needs justice. She didn’t deserve this and she needs to be rested at peace.”
Jocelyn’s uncle told us she was always smiling and she loved her family very much.
“Jocy was a smart, loving, nurturing young lady. She brightened up the room every time she came by and was loved by everyone around,” Joamel Guevara said. “She had no reason to die the way she did.”
A GoFundMe.com account has been set up on behalf of Jocelyn’s family to help pay for funeral expenses.
Original News Source
Click here for Superior HOA Management