Young girl found in Houston creek identified

HOUSTON — We have learned the name of the little girl who was strangled Monday and abandoned in a north Houston creek. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

Houston police released surveillance photos Tuesday evening of two men they hope to identify and question. on the death of the child.

Police described the persons of interest as “two males of unknown age, wearing baseball-style caps.”

At a news conference Monday afternoon, police said someone called 911 shortly after 6 a.m. about the child’s body. The victim was found in the shallow water of a creek near West Rankin Road, just west of the North Freeway, not far from her home.

HPD investigators said the girl sneaked out of her family’s apartment Sunday evening.

According to Whitmire, the girl’s mother last saw her around 10 p.m. Sunday, when she put everyone to bed. He said the girl left the house between 10 p.m. and midnight.

The mayor said the victim was talking on the phone with her 13-year-old boyfriend that evening.

“It appears he last spoke to her at a convenience store around midnight, heard her talking to two adults,” Whitmire said. “A report will be released shortly with very, very bad and horrible circumstances.”

The mayor also said the victim was raped and asked for prayers for the victim’s family.

“I’ve spoken to the mother of this child. She’s devastated, her family is devastated,” Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said Monday. “Her little girl is gone.”

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Homicide detectives were investigating whether she had been in contact with anyone before leaving her home.

“We are looking into communications that may have occurred,” HPD Lt. Stephen Hope said. “We don’t know how it happened, but we have reason to believe the family didn’t know she was leaving the house.”

They hope surveillance video and photos will provide them with answers.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call Houston police at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS. There is a $5,000 reward for information in this case.

A GoFundMe.com account has been set up in the name of Jocelyn’s family to help pay for funeral expenses.