The family of a 12-year-old girl criticized one of the suspects in her alleged murder as they heard horrific details revealed in court.
Jocelyn Nungaray was last seen on June 16 with two men at a 7-Eleven, before being found the next morning in a creek behind her home in Houston, Texas.
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Two suspects, Johan José Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena Ramos, 26, were charged with capital murder for the crime.
During a hearing on Tuesday, Martinez-Rangel initially denied taking part in Jocelyn’s death, according to an NBC affiliate. China Popular Republic.
However, prosecutors said Ramos, who had his hearing on Monday, claimed he only kissed Jocelyn.
Martinez-Rangel eventually admitted that he had tied his legs and had bite marks and scratches on his arms, according to prosecutors, according to the outlet.
He also told Ramos to throw Jocelyn’s body into the creek to wash away any evidence.
Martinez-Rangel shaved his facial hair after the murder and Megan Long, lead prosecutor, said detectives discovered he researched ways to leave the country on his phone, according to KPRC.
His defense lawyers argued that the 22-year-old had no criminal record and had two children, aged 2 and 5.
It is unclear whether the children live in Houston or Venezuela, where the two suspects are from.
Both Martinez-Rangel and Ramos received $10 million bonds.
As Martinez-Rangel was led out of the courtroom, Jocelyn’s stepmother, Melfri Vargas, shouted in Spanish: “Murderer” and “I hope they kill your children,” according to the Fox affiliate. KRIV.
“It’s especially difficult when it comes to the loss of a 12-year-old child who had his whole life ahead of him. So this will be an emotional case for us as prosecutors as well as the family,” Long said, KRIV reported.
POSSIBLE DEATH PENALTY
Court records say Ramos and Martinez-Rangel were at a local bar for hours and eventually found Jocelyn at a 7-Eleven, where they asked her for directions, according to KPRC.
Long said the men met while they were both on their way to the United States from Venezuela and later met in Houston, according to KRIV.
Surveillance cameras caught the two men leaving the creek at 3:04 a.m., according to KRIV.
Jocelyn’s final moments
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was last seen at a Houston 7-Eleven with two men on June 16. The next morning, she was found strangled and allegedly raped in a nearby creek.
Sunday, June 16 at 10pm: Police believe Jocelyn escaped from the house after her mother fell asleep.
Sunday at 12 p.m.: Around midnight, she was seen on surveillance footage at the convenience store with two men.
Sunday at 12pm: She also chatted with her boyfriend at 7-Eleven. He later told police he heard male voices in the background of the call.
Monday, June 17, 1 am to 2 am: Jocelyn, Martinez and Ramos walked to a nearby bridge
Monday at 6 a.m.: A woman called police when she saw a body floating in the creek. Her hands and legs were tied, she was not wearing pants and she had scratches on her back consistent with being dragged across the floor, according to the Fox affiliate. KRIV.
Tuesday: Medical examiners confirmed the body in the water was Jocelyn.
Thursday: The two men Jocelyn was seen with were identified as Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26. They were taken into custody and charged with capital murder.
Jocelyn was found the next morning with her hands and legs tied, no pants and with cuts on her back consistent with being dragged, KRIV reported.
The autopsy confirmed that she died from strangulation.
“The case is horrific. Jocelyn’s last moments were indescribable,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, according to Fox News.
“She was attacked for several hours. She was a girl who left home to call her boyfriend, a 13-year-old boy, [and] She was seen by two immigrants who had been drinking all afternoon, they caught her probably asking for directions and she was innocent. She left with them.
“We see footage from local stores that shows they lured her under a bridge near a Houston bayou, where they attacked, strangled her and dragged her body into the water.”
However, the current charges the suspects face do not make them eligible for the death penalty, Ogg said, according to KPRC.
I want the nation around the world to understand that she was a child. She was my daughter, my firstborn.
Alexis Nungaray
“Our laws treat the age of victims differently and have changed the boundaries,” she explained, in part.
“But age is not the only consideration in this case or in any case, the underlying actions of the criminals. This victim was found, you know, tied up and undressed from the waist down in the water.
“And we just think there’s a good possibility. We hope there is evidence that still needs to be tested.”
If the lab results show sexual assault, both men would be eligible for the death penalty.
“As a prosecutor, the most important thing for me is to find the evidence and follow it,” she said, according to KPRC.
“So if the evidence points to a sexual assault, we will proceed that way. But it’s dangerous to assume anything in my line of work.”
‘SHE WAS A CHILD’
Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, and other family members have been pleading for change since her daughter was found dead.
“We have to stop burying our children,” Nungaray said tearfully at Hannity, according to Fox News.
“That’s not right. We need more enforcement when it comes to allowing people in. That’s not right.”
Jocelyn’s grandfather, Kelvin Alvarenga, pointed out that Ramos allegedly wore an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ankle bracelet during the crime.
“You’re not going to tell me that with an ankle monitor you’re ready,” Alvarenga said.
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“You don’t wake up one day and decide you’re going to commit this horrible crime.
“These are people who are used to doing this kind of thing. It’s very sad that this happens across the country. We need a safer country.”
Alvarenga implored lawmakers to make a change.
“I don’t know if we can convey the pain we’re feeling through cameras, but please sit back and reflect and think about all these little angels who shouldn’t have been taken away, and they were, for the reason we’re not doing what we need, vetting these people,” he said, according to Fox News.
He described Jocelyn as a “fighter” and a “leader,” also saying, “She was incredible. She was starting to become a teenager and that was something that was taken away from us.”
Nungarary made a powerful statement about her daughter promising to be her voice after Jocelyn’s was ripped away.
“I want the nation around the world to understand that she was a child. She was my daughter, my firstborn,” Nungarary said, according to Fox News.
“She was a pre-teen who was slowly becoming a beautiful young woman, and she was going so far. She had ambitious dreams and goals that she wanted to achieve in life.
“She was going to do things and these men, these illegal men, took advantage of the opportunity for my daughter, for our family, to see her become this incredible person.
“So now, with her voice being ripped away from her, I will be her voice and I will stand strong and try to make a difference in this world. Because this has to stop.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
