By Trend News Line 2024-06-29 12:56:00.
Identifying the Accused
Recent revelations shed light on how the accused killers of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray were identified by police. According to court documents, two roommates of Franklin Peña, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, separately went to the authorities after recognising the suspects from surveillance images that were made public.
One of the roommates disclosed to the police that he was watching the news with the accused when he saw the images. He discreetly texted his cousin in Laredo, not wanting to alert Peña and Martinez-Rangel. The cousin promptly informed the Houston Police Department (HPD), leading to the roommate’s safe extraction from the apartment for questioning.
The night before the tragic incident, the same roommate revealed that he was not living with the suspects at that time. He recounted going out for food with them and returning home around 10 p.m., while Peña and Martinez-Rangel remained out. The following day, facing eviction from his landlord, the roommates invited him to stay with them and assist with rent, which was when he saw the news report on June 18.
Insight from Another Resident
Court documents further revealed that another man, the boss of one of the accused individuals, resided in the apartment as well. The boss informed the police that Peña had admitted to him on June 19 that they had made a grave mistake after a night of revelry on Sunday, resulting in harm to someone.
After dropping Peña off, the boss visited his girlfriend’s residence, where he learned about Jocelyn’s tragic fate. Recognising the suspects in the images released by HPD, he promptly alerted the authorities to the involvement of Peña and Martinez-Rangel in the heinous crime.
Discovery of Jocelyn
Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis, had tucked her 12-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son into bed around 10 p.m. on June 16. Police believe Jocelyn sneaked out of the apartment sometime around midnight, unbeknownst to her mother.
When Alexis discovered Jocelyn’s absence, she traced her daughter’s phone to a nearby skate park, close to where her lifeless body was eventually found. A passerby crossing the Rankin Road bridge near Kuykendahl spotted the body around 6 a.m. on June 17 and promptly contacted emergency services. HPD’s dive team was summoned to the scene, and the body was identified as Jocelyn.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences later determined that Jocelyn’s cause of death was strangulation, painting a grim picture of the events leading to her untimely demise.
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1. Suspects apprehended
2. Capture of suspects.