The Houston Police Department (HPD) has filed capital murder charges against two illegal immigrants it believes are connected to the death of a young girl.
Johan Jose Martinez, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, were charged with capital murder in the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungray, whose body was found in a creek on June 17 at 6:15 a.m.
On June 18, the HPD began asking for the public’s help to identify the suspects using surveillance footage taken from the 400 West Rankin Road area.
HPD Lt. Stephen Hope told reporters at a press conference on June 20 that surveillance footage caught the suspects meeting the victim and walking to a convenience store around midnight.
After they left the store, they walked to a bridge where the victim was allegedly murdered, he said.
“The suspects continued south toward their residence after leaving Jocelyn there,” Lt. Hope said.
He said the period of time between when the suspects left a restaurant to meet the victim and when they left the bridge was within four hours.
The HPD implemented a “coordinated operation” to detain the two suspects at their apartment and bring them to the station for questioning, he said.
Investigators found evidence linking the suspects to the murder at the residence, he said.
Houston Police Chief Larry J. Satterwhite said in the press conference that investigators haven’t confirmed whether the victim was raped.
In Texas, suspects can be charged with capital murder if the victim is under 15 years of age.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson confirmed to The Epoch Times that the suspects entered the country illegally.
“Martinez and Pena both 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,” the ICE spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.
“On March 14, Martinez was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Pena was apprehended 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 the same day he was apprehended.”
