Important events surrounding the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray

HOUSTON – KPRC 2 has been tracking the latest information in the case of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the girl found strangled June 17 in a north Houston creek.

Jocelyn’s death sent a wave of shock throughout the Houston area as the search for those involved in her murder was still underway.

As more information becomes available, we will provide you with the latest updates in this case.

Here is a timeline of the events leading up to Jocelyn’s death and some answers to what happened:

June 16, 2024

The night before Jocelyn died, her mother, Alexis Nungaray, told KPRC 2 that the last time she saw her daughter alive was Sunday night, before she went to bed around 10 p.m. Her last words to Jocelyn were not to stay up late, stating that she was coming with her mother to work the next day.

Houston police said Jocelyn sneaked out of the family’s apartment on Rankin Road between 10 p.m. and midnight.

Investigators said Jocelyn’s boyfriend was the last person to speak to her on the phone. He reportedly told authorities he heard her talking to the two men at the gas station before they hung up.

Christian Goffney, who works at the 7-Eleven on Rankin and Kuykendahl, said he had just come downstairs when he noticed Jocelyn hiding behind a nearby storage unit around 11:30 p.m. He noticed police in the area but didn’t think anything was wrong.

June 17, 2024

Around 12:17 a.m., surveillance photos show Jocelyn at the 7-Eleven convenience store. In those images, investigators saw two men, later identified as persons of interest.

Around 3 a.m., Alexis said Jocelyn’s cat was “going crazy,” but thought the cat was with her daughter since she sleeps with her pet at night.

Around 6:15 a.m., a woman called police and said she saw a body while walking past a creek near 400 West Rankin Road.

The Houston Police Department dive team responded and recovered the body.

At the same time police were responding to reports of a body, Alexis said she woke up and began her normal routine: waking up her 5-year-old son and Jocelyn. It is then that she notices that Jocelyn has disappeared.

She said she looked around the house, walked around their apartment complex, then got in her car. Alexis reportedly searched for the location of her daughter’s cell phone, which traced back to the creek where she was running, and saw police canvassing the area.

The mother said she told police her daughter was missing and it wasn’t until an hour later that she received a call saying the body found may have been Jocelyn’s.

At 5:30 p.m., HPD held a press conference to alert the media and community of the body in the creek. Houston Mayor John Whitmire joined police to discuss the discovery of the 12-year-old girl’s body being recovered.

Investigators said foul play was involved in his death and they were searching for those involved.

June 18, 2024

At a Houston City Council meeting around noon, Mayor Whitmire said the 12-year-old girl’s boyfriend was talking with two adults before she was killed.

“It appears he last spoke to her at a convenience store around midnight and heard her talking to two adults,” he said Tuesday.

A source told KPRC 2 that 7/11 on Rankin and Kuykendahl were monitoring the girl inside the store. Christian Goffney, who works at the store, told KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel that he would see the 12-year-old girl regularly during July 11th.

At 8:14 p.m., Houston police announced that the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled that the 12-year-old died of strangulation. Police also released several surveillance photos from the 7-Eleven convenience store of the two persons of interest they wanted to question in connection with the girl’s death.

Investigators told KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry the two men were the last to be seen with the girl and they don’t believe they ever left the area. The men did not arrive at the store with the girl, investigators said, but first passed each other there.

The family asked for help to get the attackers off the streets.

June 19, 2024

Harris County medical examiners confirmed the girl’s identity as 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

A source gave KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel new surveillance photos of Jocelyn at the convenience store around 12:17 a.m. on June 17. In the video, she allegedly returned to the store where she and the man in the white hat were at the door. around 12:58 a.m.

The family has created a GoFundMe to honor Jocelyn. They also said they were planning a memorial.

Around 5 p.m., Alexis spoke publicly for the first time about the murder of her daughter.

Tears streamed down Alexis’ face as she spoke with KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel.

Alexis described her daughter as “goofy” and said she had her own “little spunk.”

She also said that Jocelyn never followed the crowd.

“She always stood up for what was right,” Alexis said.

The heartbroken mom said she feels like she’s in an alternate universe where she’s living this constant nightmare that doesn’t stop.

Alexis said she knows her daughter fought hard and is a fighter, repeating that “she needs justice, she doesn’t deserve this.”

She said she and Jocelyn have been through a lot in recent months with her mental health.

June 20, 2024

Sources told KPRC 2 that two men, considered persons of interest, were captured by police.

KPRC 2 cameras were the only ones on scene when police arrested the two men last seen with the teen.

At 2 p.m., Houston police released more details about the two men arrested.

Investigators said the two men were now suspects after finding evidence linked to Jocelyn’s murder in their apartment.

The suspects, identified as Johan Jose Rangel Martine, 26, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 21, are both charged with capital murder.

Surveillance videos trace the suspects’ steps

Detectives revealed Martinez and Ramos started their evening together at a restaurant in the Northborough area and then walked south.

They allegedly continued south and were first seen on camera, footage that was first made public by HPD, and met Jocelyn on Kuykendahl Road.

Later, the suspects and victim walked together to the 7-Eleven located near Rankin and Kuykendahl roads, where additional surveillance video shows the three of them together.

After a few minutes at the convenience store, all three walked to a bridge where Jocelyn was murdered, police said. The suspects reportedly continued walking south to their residence, leaving the girl’s body in the creek.

Anyone with information on the identity of the two persons of interest or in this case is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.