2 men accused of strangling 12-year-old in Houston are charged with capital murder
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Two men have been charged with capital murder in the strangulation of a 12-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a shallow creek in north Houston.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, were charged Friday with capital murder of a child between 10 and 15 years old, according to authorities and court records.
Jocelyn Nungaray was found about 6:15 a.m. Monday, and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined she died by strangulation, according to Houston police .
12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Houston Police Department
Officials on T hursday said they had been working nonstop to take whoever was responsible for Jocelyn's death off the streets. Surveillance video and witnesses led police to the arrests Thursday, officials said.
“The teams were out there, and they were scouring every potential video feed, and they were talking to everybody possible that might have seen something or heard something,” said Houston’s Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite. “Their hard work paid off because we were able to find video and … trace the movements of our suspects and … of Jocelyn … all the way to the point of where she was murdered and left in a bayou in the water.”
Tests would determine if the girl was sexually assaulted, Satterwhite said.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the case was horrifying.
“As the mayor, as a grandfather and a father — it doesn’t get any worse,” he said.
Houston police Lt. Stephen Hope said the suspects left a restaurant together Sunday night and were spotted on a surveillance camera. Officials said the men were later seen talking to Jocelyn, and the three walked together to a convenience store, where images were captured and later released to the public, police said.
The trio then walked to a bridge, where Jocelyn was killed, Hope said.
The suspects and Jocelyn spent a few hours together before she was killed, Hope said.
Martinez-Rangel and Pena were being held in the Harris County Jail Friday afternoon, according to John Donnelly, a spokesperson for the county’s district attorney’s office.
Martinez-Rangel and Pena were expected to make their first appearance in court Friday during a probable cause hearing before a magistrate in which prosecutors were going to request $1 million bond for each suspect, Donnelly said.
It was unclear late Friday if Martinez-Rangel and Pena had retained attorneys.
The suspects weren't eligible for the death penalty as of Friday afternoon, but that might change as their cases progress through the courts, Donnelly said.
Both suspects had immigration violation holds from Immigration and Customs Enforcement on their court records.
At Thursday’s news conference, authorities said to contact Homeland Security Investigations regarding questions about the suspects’ immigration statuses. No one with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or ICE were reached Friday for comment.
NBC affiliate KPRC in Houston reported Jocelyn's mother, Alexis Nungaray, said she had never seen the two men before. She didn't know if her daughter knew them and told the news station that they did not live at the complex where she and Jocelyn lived.
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Authorities say two undocumented migrants from Venezuela are under arrest in the killing of a 12-year-old girl in Houston. It was the latest example of undocumented immigrants arrested for violent crimes.
Both suspects had immigration violation holds from Immigration and Customs Enforcement on their court records.
Hey Joey - your open door policy worked really great for the family of this 12 year old girl who was killed by two Illegal Aliens in Houston.
Keep on going Joe - right out the door.
Hang anybody who is a rapist! Rapists can't be rehabilitated.
Hang anybody who claims all rapists are immigrants.
The fascist state of mind can't be rehabilitated.
Of course, I am sorry for the youthful 12 year old, and I will say her name: Jocelyn Nungaray. Whatever 'monsters' got hold of her I wish to read about being processed and punished accordingly through our court system. Washington, our president, can only do so much. . . . And, I, for one, will not play politics with her death! That said, if some conservatives feel so strongly about saving young, vibrant, and youthful lives, then cut the bull and go to Congress starting Monday prepared to fix this 'age-old,' multi-generational border policy failure that crosses way too many presidential administrations.
Enough of the stupid, dumb, assinine, finger-pointing, -wagging, and, -poking!
I am clear about this point! Fix it or just let individual state legal systems deal with the one or several 'problem' individuals as a violation of city and state laws.
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There is a young dead girl in this narrative. It is a time for sincerity. If you, we, care about her loss that is.
This was entirely preventable.
Why not show people who they were?
These are among the 20 million Joe Biden allowed into the country.
We know little about them other than the fact that the democrat party will one day demand their vote.
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What isn't publicized is that these two persons are part of the Biden Venezuelan Exclusion policy which is why their names are on "hold" by CBP. They were fast tracked into the U.S. with minimum vetting.
It's sad that it has to be an illegal that gets the attention of the right wing, American on American crime is FAR worse. But that's ok I guess.
No, friend Mr. Frost, it's not okay. Some Conservatives trot out their 'horror story' or "horror stories' (they only need one that they can push and exploit to the hilt) to give the impression that it's happening 'EVERYWHERE' - IF YOU FIND ONE CASE-its covering up a hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other cases of rape and death. And, oh, don't forget that Donald says. . ." When Mexico sends. . . they're rapists. . . ."
If it turns out that these two individuals came here and killed and sexually assaulted or raped (not confirmed) a child. . .then our justice system is equipped to deal with them. . .as illegals or undocumented (overstayed here after being let in temporarily) individuals. MAGAs expect the system to work for single mass shooters of tens of people without any change to law, but then cry foul EVERY election season. . . when they go/seek/find one or two 'villains' to try to take down a president. It's self-serving propaganda. Call it what it is.
That is correct it is far worse. That doesn't mean we need to port more violent crime in my just letting illegal aliens into this country willy nilly.
At least nbc reported they were illegals . AP omitted it, unbelievably. Or rather believably with how biased media is now.
Your far-right wing fascist posts are far away from reality.
You post fascist political propaganda on a daily basis here.
All you have is lie on top of lie. Over and over,
All you have is doctored and edited videos trying to trash Biden.
Not surprised that all that Republicans have is lies to fall back on.
The far-right wing platform is nothing but an ALEC lie in the first place.
You should be ashamed that all you have is lame propaganda.
Lol.
How about letting us know which videos are doctored or edited.
It does not matter that they are undocumented. Put them in the justice system same as you would (and support doing so) with mentally ill or dudes who mass shoot up schools and public places. It's apples to apples. That is, you can't pronounce that oh this would not have happened had these two men not been here, because it does happen to men/women/boys/girls all the same here by the hands of their fellow citizenry.
No more fearmongering! Either compromise with legislation to fix the broken borders. plural, once and for all-for all the citizenry sake or drop the damn subject until ready to do so!
Why not keep effective policies in place?
Oh, that might mean keeping people out.
You know full well that legislation is not going to fix this Biden caused problem. Quit making excuses for illegal scum.
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Which SCOTUS?...the one you trust or the other one?
You do know illegals came across the border daily when trump was in office, too, right?
Sure, like every president since they started recording the numbers. Guess who has the highest numbers.... go ahead
Not nearly as many and the numbers were going down.
And Democrats fought tooth and nail to make sure they could. Then Biden literally invited them in, revoked Trump's executive orders and tore up international agreements to make it easy as possible for the migrant invasion.
No compromise with Democrats that willfully and knowingly have opened our borders and refuse to enforce our immigration laws to the damn letter.
Anyone that enters this country illegally must be deported. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Anyone that came in under Biden's fast tracking program must be fully vetted! If there is even the slightest hint they are a threat- back they go!
Until Democrats enforce our borders and immigration laws as written there can be no compromise. So far they have refused to do anything. Biden's latest EO/EA isn't being enforced. They are nothing more than meaningless words on paper.
Whatever. Very little ever seems improvable around here and in politics anyway. It is what it is.
Please folks - get back on topic -
CB - quit ranting and actually discuss the topic of two illegal aliens (allowed in under Biden's exclusion policy) murdering a 12 year old girl.
I know ya won't read it but...
FACT CHECK: Trump, Illegal Immigration And Crime
Try PEW or the CBP data - way different sotry.
Will be interesting to see how this ends, Texas still has the death penalty for the charges these two face.
And should be applied imo.
Morning..
Don't care who you are, where you are from, or what colour you are...
You murder someone, especially a child you forfeit your own..
Unfortunately we no longer have the death penalty here and at times much to our detriment....
Meta cleaned up @1.1