Courageous Struggle Against Attackers
Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl, bravely fought her attackers in her final moments, leaving scratch and bite marks on Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, one of the men accused of her murder, prosecutors disclosed.
Assault under the Bridge
Jocelyn was lured under a Houston bridge and assaulted for two hours. Rangel Martinez, 21, still bore the marks from Jocelyn’s struggle when arrested, said Assistant District Attorney Megan Long in Harris County court. Jocelyn’s feet were also bound, and her back was covered in cuts, according to KPRC.
Rangel Martinez’s alleged accomplice, Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, claimed he tried to stop the attack but was overruled by Rangel Martinez, who allegedly said he had to “finish what he started” as he strangled Jocelyn.
Court proceedings and bail
Harris County District Court Judge Josh Hill set Rangel Martinez’s bail at $10 million, citing flight risk concerns and the need to prevent deportation before justice is served. “I’ve seen individuals go into ICE custody and be deported with charges still pending,” Hill noted, stressing the importance of ensuring the charges are answered.
Rangel Martinez, appearing in court in a yellow jumpsuit, had shaved his beard to alter his appearance after the attack. Prosecutors stated that Pena Ramos messaged their boss, claiming they had been partying and someone ended up dead.
Immigration issues and system failures
Pena Ramos was given an ankle monitor when he was released into the US after being caught at the border in May, according to Homeland Security sources. He cut off the monitor after Jocelyn’s body was found. Rangel Martinez crossed the border illegally at El Paso on March 14 and was also given an ankle monitor, which authorities removed in May after determining he had no known criminal history. Pena Ramos crossed into El Paso on May 29, stating he would live with his cousin in Houston. He cut off his ankle monitor two days after Jocelyn’s body was found.
“Our immigration system is broken and if there was ever a case that reflected that, it’s this one,” said DA Kim Ogg during a press conference following Pena Ramos’ hearing.
Both Rangel Martinez and Pena Ramos were seen on surveillance video entering a 7-Eleven with Jocelyn the night she was killed. They later walked her to a bridge, where her body was found half-naked and strangled.
Family’s grief
Jocelyn’s family said she had snuck out of her home the night she was killed to meet the suspects. Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, said Monday that the killers took her daughter and all the opportunities she had ahead of her away.
“She was amazing, I still see her face in the back of my head every day, all day. I keep getting little signs about her throughout the days and it’s been a very, very hard time for me and my family,” Nungaray said. “She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was gonna go very far and these monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family.”
