HOUSTON — The death of a 12-year-old Houston girl continues to be the subject of national headlines with the two suspected killers being undocumented immigrants from Venezuela.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found dead in a north Houston creek on June 17, according to the Houston Police Department.
Venezuelan nationals Franklin Peña, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, are charged with capital murder in connection with her death. Both men are being held on a $10 million bond with a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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What do we know about Jocelyn Nungaray?
Jocelyn's mother, Alexis Nungaray, spoke at the news conference after the arrests. She thanked the community for the outpouring of support and said she's trying to focus on the positive memories of Jocelyn.
"Her dorkiness, her quirkiness. She definitely made people laugh," Alexis said. "She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was going to go very far. And, you know, these, these monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family."
Alexis said she can’t stop thinking about the daughter she fought to keep as a 15-year-old teen mother.
“I still see her face in the back of my head every day, all day," she said through tears. “She was a very special little girl that deserves her justice.
What happened to Jocelyn Nungaray?
WARNING: Graphic details
Investigators said they believe Jocelyn sneaked out of her apartment sometime after midnight after her mother, Alexis Nungaray, put her to bed on Sunday, June 16.
Her 13-year-old boyfriend later told police that Jocelyn called him late that night from a convenience store. He said that he could hear her talking with two grown-ups.
Houston police said Jocelyn was walking on Kuhkendahl Road early Monday when two men, later identified as Peña and Martinez-Rangel, asked her for directions.
The three of them then walked to a 7-Eleven store before the men allegedly lured Jocelyn to a bridge on West Rankin Road. Police said they were there for a couple of hours and they tied the victim up, took her pants off, strangled her, and dumped her in the creek.
Billie Jean Jackson was crossing Rankin Road bridge near Kuykendahl around 6 a.m. Monday when something caught her eye. She turned back to take a closer look and realized it was a "young lady's body,” so she called 911.
Two days later, new surveillance photos obtained by KHOU 11 News showed Jocelyn with one of the men previously identified as a person of interest. In one photo, they were walking into a convenience store. In the other, they appeared to be in a parking lot.
There was also a photo of Jocelyn walking with a drink in her hand.
Then on Thursday, Houston police and SWAT team members went to the Canfield Lakes Apartments on Northborough Drive.
Neighbors at the complex said HPD showed up around 4 a.m. and used a loudspeaker to order Peña and Martinez-Rangel to come out. When they didn't, officers approached the second-floor apartment with weapons drawn.
A witness said one of the guys tried to jump off the balcony to get away, but HPD had the place surrounded and they quickly grabbed him. Witnesses gave us images of the suspects being questioned.
HPD forensic investigators then removed boxes of evidence from their apartment.
We later learned that Martinez-Rangel had bites and scratches on his arms when he was arrested.
Peña told investigators that Martinez-Rangel was the one who was on top of Jocelyn and he was the one who tied her up and threw her into the bayou to get rid of DNA evidence.
A woman, who asked KHOU 11 News not to use her name, said Peña and Martinez-Rangel moved in a few weeks earlier. Other residents told us the men often sat on their balcony and yelled things at women who passed by.
Who killed Jocelyn Nungarary?
Peña and Martinez-Rangel remain in custody at the Harris County Jail in connection with Jocelyn's death. Peña appeared before a judge on Monday, June 24, while Martinez-Rangel appeared on Tuesday, June 25.
While both men were given a $10 million bond, double what prosecutors requested, they are still being held on a detainer from ICE.
ICE confirmed that Peña and Martinez-Rangel "illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location."
On March 14, Martinez-Rangel was taken into U.S. Border Patrol custody near El Paso. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear, the statement said.
Peña was also taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Instead, they came to Houston and were living in the apartment where they were arrested.
At a news conference on Monday, June 24, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Jocelyn's accused killers aren't eligible for the death penalty under Texas law but that could change if evidence shows that Jocelyn was kidnapped or raped.
"Both underlying offenses would make this capital murder and these individuals death penalty-eligible," Ogg explained. "Make no mistake, this is a horrific crime. And when we take charges, we do it based on the evidence we have at the moment."
If the charges are upgraded, Ogg said they will ask that both men be held without bond.