Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, one of the two Venezuelan migrants accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, appeared in court Monday as horrific details about the case emerged.
Bollywood Fever: One of the two illegal Venezuelan migrants accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray appeared in court Monday, where shocking new details about her death were revealed.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, appeared in a yellow jumpsuit with his hands cuffed in front of him as he faced capital murder charges for Jocelyn’s death. He and his roommate, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, another Venezuelan migrant, are accused of raping and killing the preteen and disposing of her body in a Houston bayou.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg highlighted the broader implications of the case, stating, “Our immigration system is broken, and if there was ever a case that reflected that, it’s this one.”
Prosecutors allege that Ramos and Martinez, who lived in the same apartment complex as Nungaray, followed her to a nearby 7/11 after she snuck out of her house on June 16. They reportedly asked her for directions and lured her under a bridge, where they stripped her naked to the waist and sexually assaulted her for two hours. Court documents obtained by Fox 26 indicate that the suspects bound Nungaray’s hands during the assault, then strangled her and dumped her body in the bayou.
Nungaray was found by a passerby hours later, with her feet bound and her back covered in cuts. Ramos later confessed to kissing Jocelyn but blamed other parts of the assault and her death on Martinez, according to Harris County Assistant District Attorney Megan Long.
Prosecutors allege that Martinez grabbed Jocelyn around the neck, got on top of her, and put his hands over her mouth to stop her from screaming. Martinez allegedly shaved his beard to avoid detection after the murder, and Ramos cut off an ankle monitor he was fitted with upon entering the country illegally at El Paso on May 28.
Police say Ramos asked his employer for extra cash to skip town, but the boss contacted police, leading to Ramos’ arrest. In court, Judge Josh Hill set Ramos’ bond at $10 million, citing him as an ‘astronomical’ flight risk with no ties to Houston. Ramos had been released into the country after claiming he feared for his life if returned to Venezuela.
Both Ramos and Martinez are now facing capital murder charges and could be sentenced to the death penalty if evidence reveals that Nungaray was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, according to District Attorney Kim Ogg. Martinez is set to face his bond hearing on Tuesday, with prosecutors urging a $10 million bail.
Jocelyn Nungaray’s mother, Alexis, expressed her grief and anger at the accused killers, calling them ‘monsters’ who took away her daughter’s future. “She had such a bright future ahead of her, and those monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family,” Alexis said at a news conference.
This tragic case continues to unfold, highlighting the severe consequences of systemic issues and the devastating impact on innocent lives.
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