Suspects arrested and charged in connection with death of minor in Houston | Texas

Houston, Texas — Two suspects have been charged in connection with the death of a young girl found Monday at 400 West Rankin Road.

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

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

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

Subsequent investigation and tips from witnesses identified the suspects as Martinez-Rangel and Pena. On Thursday, officers from the HPD Northbelt Patrol Division’s Crime Suppression Team, SWAT team, and Gang and Homicide Divisions found Martinez-Rangel and Pena at an apartment complex in the 13300 block of Northborough Drive. Both men were arrested without incident.

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