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(NewsNation) — The household of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose assemblage was recovered successful a creek successful June, volition articulation Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Houston prosecutors Friday to propulsion for authorities pursuing her killing.
A bystander discovered Nungaray’s assemblage bare from the waist down successful a creek aboriginal June 17, officials said. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences concluded the 12-year-old died by strangulation.
Police arrested Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 21, astatine a Houston flat analyzable successful transportation to her decease successful June.
Nungaray's assemblage successful creek
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 24: Franklin Peña, 1 of the 2 men accused of sidesplitting 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led retired of the courtroom aft bail was acceptable for $10 cardinal connected Monday, June 24, 2024 successful Houston. Peña and different man, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, are charged with superior execution implicit the girl's death. They're accused of starring her nether a span successful northbound Houston, and past strangling her. Her assemblage was recovered June 17 successful the bayou adjacent the 400 West Rankin Road. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 25: Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 1 of the 2 men accused of sidesplitting 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies connected Tuesday, June 25, 2024 successful Houston. Rangel-Martinez was ordered held connected $10 cardinal bail arsenic he, and different man, Franklin Peña, are charged with superior execution implicit the girl's death. They're accused of starring her nether a span successful northbound Houston, and past strangling her. Her assemblage was recovered June 17 successful the bayou adjacent the 400 West Rankin Road. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Investigators judge Nungaray snuck retired of her location June 16.
Court documents allege the men lured Nungaray nether a bridge, wherever they kept her for 2 hours. Officials accidental she was tied up and strangled. She was recovered bare from the waist down with marks and scrapes connected her cervix accordant with being dragged.
Both of Nungaray's alleged killers stay down bars connected superior execution charges and $10 cardinal bonds.
Although it is simply a superior execution case, it’s not eligible for the decease punishment arsenic it’s presently charged. That could alteration if prosecutors were to bring guardant capable grounds pointing to kidnapping oregon intersexual assault.
Nungaray's decease raises borderline concerns
Martinez and Ramos are roommates primitively from Venezuela. It’s unclear wherever and erstwhile they entered the United States, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said.
However, 1 of the men was reportedly wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ankle show during the killing.
The quality gripped the federation and raised concerns astir borderline vetting processes. Some person besides questioned the alternatives to the detention programme some men were enrolled successful aft entering the state illegally.
