Judge sets bail at $10 million for Venezuelan accused of murdering 12-year-old Houston girl

A Texas judge on Monday set bail at $10 million for an undocumented Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl whose body was found in a creek after she disappeared while walking to the grocery store.

Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, is one of two men charged with capital murder in the death of Jocelyn Nungaray. The second is Johan Jose Martinez-Ranger, 22.

Peña’s bail was set during a court hearing in which prosecutors told State Judge Josh Hill that he and Martinez-Rangel tried to flee the Houston area after the killing.

According to a Friday statement from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, both men are Venezuelan citizens who illegally entered the United States in March. The U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, arrested Martinez-Rangel on March 14 and Peña on March 28. Both were released with orders to appear in court at a later date.

Immigration is a top concern for voters, with many saying President Joe Biden has not done enough to secure the country’s borders. Earlier this month, Biden revealed plans to immediately implement significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both Peña and Martinez-Rangel are currently under federal immigration control, which means they will remain in custody even if they could post bail. Martinez-Rangel is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to check the status of his bond.

Nungaray’s body was found June 17 in a shallow creek after police said she had slipped out of a nearby home the previous evening. According to the medical examiner, the woman was strangled.

Court documents say the suspects allegedly lured Nungaray under a bridge and stayed there with her for more than two hours.

Prosecutors allege the men took off her pants, tied her up and killed her, then dumped her body in the bayou. It does not appear that the two men knew the 12-year-old, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.

“Make no mistake, this is a terrible crime,” Ogg said during a press conference following Peña’s court hearing.

Lisa Andrews, Peña’s court-appointed lawyer, did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment.

The victim’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, remembered her daughter on Monday as a quirky person who “definitely made people laugh.”

“I will always remember those memories because she had a bright future ahead of her and I knew she would go very far,” she said. “These monsters took away that chance from her, from her family.”

On Thursday, police arrested Martinez-Rangel and Peña, who investigators said were roommates. Authorities said surveillance video showed two men approaching Jocelyn Nungaray and then going with her to a Houston grocery store. The three then went together to the bridge, where the girl was killed, police said.

Kelvin Alvarenga, Jocelyn Nungaray’s grandfather, said on Monday that his granddaughter’s death could have been prevented if the country’s immigration system was “overhauled.”

“I don’t believe that everyone who crosses the line is bad. However, there are those among them who do this,” he said. “Why don’t we take more time and research these people who come here?”

Ogg said the murder charges against Peña and Martinez-Rangel do not carry the death penalty. However, if additional DNA testing or other evidence shows that the victim suffered sexual assault or kidnapping, the death penalty would be possible, she added.

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