Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found dead in a Houston bayou from strangulation on June 17. Police believe she snuck out of her home and encountered two men who later killed her.
Jonathan LimehouseUSA TODAY
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Two roommates have been charged with capital murder after Houston police found the body of a 12-year-old girl in a bayou.
A resident discovered Jocelyn Nungaray's body on the morning of June 17, Houston police Lt. Stephen Hope said during a news conference on June 20. The young girl was strangled to death, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, per a police news release.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Peña, 26, were arrested by police on June 20 at the apartment where they roomed together, according to the release.
"I talked to Jocelyn's mother, Alexis, and she's been very brave but she is still devastated," acting Houston police chief Larry J. Satterwhite said during the news conference. "Her little girl is gone."
Here's what we know about the case.
What happened to Jocelyn Nungaray?
Three to four hours after Jocelyn met Peña and Martinez-Rangel, she was murdered, according to Hope. The roommates met the young girl as they were leaving a restaurant together on Tuesday evening, the lieutenant added.
Peña and Martinez-Rangel allegedly asked Jocelyn, who snuck out of her family's apartment that night, for directions, the Houston Chronicle reported, citing prosecutors. The three then walked to a 7-Eleven convenience store before making their way to a bridge, Hope said.
Once at the bridge, Jocelyn was murdered, the lieutenant said. Peña and Martinez-Rangel bound her hands together and assaulted her before strangling her to death, according to prosecutors, per the Houston Chronicle.
After leaving Jocelyn's body at the bridge, the two men headed back to their apartment, Hope said.
“I want karma to hit them. I’m angry. They took advantage of her. She’s so young. She’s 12. I want justice," Alexis Nungaray told KPRC 2 before Peña and Martinez-Rangel were arrested. "They took my baby away.”
Surveillance footage aids police in identifying Franklin Peña and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel
Surveillance photos from the 7-Eleven of Peña and Martinez-Rangel were released to the public by Houston police.
Based on witnesses coming forward and community members sending in tips following the release of the photos, police were able to identify Peña and Martinez-Rangel, according to Hope.
"We were able to find video and trace the movements of our suspects and of Jocelyn," Satterwhite said during the news conference. "We asked for the public's help and the public came through."
Judge sets $10 million bonds for Franklin Peña and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel
A Harris County judge set $10 million bonds for Peña and Martinez-Rangel after the two were charged with capital murder, according to court records.
Peña appeared in court on Monday, while Martinez-Rangel appeared the next day. Both men will not return to court until September, court records show.
Before bonds were set for the two men, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said that neither Peña nor Martinez-Rangel should receive bail.
"The charges have been filed, now we want the justice system to do its job," Whitmire said. "If there was ever a circ*mstance where you do not give someone bail, this is it."
Franklin Peña blames Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel for Jocelyn's death
During the bail hearing on Monday, Harris County Assistant District Attorney Megan Long said Peña initially told police he kissed Jocelyn but blamed other parts of the assault and her death on Martinez-Rangel, the Houston Chronicle reported.
After someone found Jocelyn's body, Peña allegedly asked his boss at a construction company for money to help him get out of Houston, Long said, per the Houston-based outlet. The boss did not help and instead contacted the police, the prosecutor added.
Prosecutors during Martinez-Rangel's bond hearing said he admitted to tying Jocelyn's legs and instructing Peña to throw her body in the nearby creek to get rid of DNA, KPRC 2 reported. When Martinez-Rangel appeared in court, he had what appeared to be bite or scratch marks on his arms, and he shaved off his facial hair to allegedly avoid detection, according to the TV station.
Detectives were also able to get inside Martinez-Rangel's phone, which showed that he researched ways to get out of the country. He and Peña are both Venezuelan natives.
Martinez-Rangel, who had no prior criminal history, is the father of a 5 and 2-year-old, according to prosecutors, per KPRC 2.
