Arrests made after 12-year-old Houston girl found dead in creek; suspect reportedly tried to escape from balcony

Two men seen on surveillance video with a 12-year-old girl before her body was found in a Houston creek earlier this week were arrested Thursday in connection with her death, police said. One of the suspects tried to jump from a balcony and escape before officers caught him, a neighbor told CBS affiliate KHOU-TV.

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, are both charged with capital murder in connection with the killing of Jocelyn Nungaray, police said. The medical examiner has determined her cause of death was strangulation.

It was unclear whether the two suspects already had attorneys who spoke on their behalf. Their names were not listed in jail or court records as of Thursday afternoon.

Jocelyn’s body was found in the shallow waters of a creek early Monday morning. Police said she had sneaked out of her nearby home the night before.

According to police, surveillance footage showed the men meeting Jocelyn and going with her to a supermarket.

The three then walked together to the bridge, where Jocelyn was killed, police said. It is not yet known whether Jocelyn knew the men, who were roommates, police said.

Police said the results of the victim’s sexual assault investigation are still pending.

On Tuesday, police released photos from surveillance camera recordings of the two men, who were considered persons of interest at the time.

Neighbors of the complex where the arrests took place arrived around 4 a.m. and used a loudspeaker to tell the men to come out, KHOU-TV reported. When they didn’t come, officers approached the second-floor apartment with guns drawn.

A neighbor told KHOU-TV that one of the suspects tried to jump from the balcony to escape, but officers surrounded the building and quickly caught him.

Local residents told the station that Ramos and Martinez often sat on their balconies and shouted at women passing by.

KHOU-TV reported that forensic investigators were seen removing boxes of evidence from the apartment on Thursday.

Houston Deputy Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said police worked around the clock to identify the killers and seek justice for Jocelyn and her family.

“Their hard work paid off. We were able to find video and trace the movements of the suspects and Jocelyn all the way to the bayou where she was murdered,” Satterwhite said.

Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, described her daughter as vibrant, crazy and loving, KHOU-TV reported.

“I’m so angry that they took advantage of her. She was so young. She was 12, you took my baby away from me, you took her away,” she said. “Now I have to tell her little brother that his older sister is never coming home again.”