Suspects arrested and charged in death of minor in Houston |

Houston, TX — Charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the death of a young woman found Monday at 400 West Rankin Road.

The suspects, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, are charged with capital murder in the 232nd State District Court. The victim was identified as 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

Sergeant R. Olive of the HPD Homicide Division and Detective T. Tyler reported that HPD patrol officers responded to a call of a person at the above address and found the body of a woman in a shallow stream. He was pronounced dead at the scene and investigators believed foul play was involved.

Further investigation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences identified Ms. Nungaray as the victim and the cause of her death as strangulation. A preliminary investigation and evidence collected at the scene identified two male persons of interest, and surveillance photos of those individuals were released Tuesday.

Subsequent investigation and information from witnesses identified the suspects as Martinez-Rangel and Pena. On Thursday, officers from the HPD Northbelt Patrol Division Crime Suppression Team, SWAT team and gang and homicide divisions located Martinez-Rangel and Pena at an apartment complex in the 13300 block from Northborough Drive. Both men were arrested without incident.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and both suspects were subsequently charged for their roles in this incident. Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.