Two Arrested in Murder of 12-Year-Old Girl Found in Houston Creek

A bridge crosses a creek Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Houston. Two men who were seen on surveillance footage with a 12-year-old girl hours before her body was found in a Houston creek earlier this week were arrested Thursday, June 20, 2024, in her death, police said

Two men seen on surveillance footage with a 12-year-old girl before her body was discovered in a Houston creek earlier this week were arrested Thursday, police said.

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, each face a charge of capital murder in the killing of Jocelyn Nungaray, whose cause of death was determined to be strangulation by the medical examiner.

As of Thursday afternoon, it was unclear if the suspects had attorneys, as their names were not listed in jail or court records.

Police said that surveillance footage showed the men meeting up with the girl before walking to a convenience store with her.

Jocelyn's body was found in the shallow water of a creek early Monday morning after she had sneaked out of her nearby home the previous night.

Surveillance footage showed the men meeting Jocelyn and walking to a convenience store with her before heading to the bridge where she was killed, police said. It remains unknown if Jocelyn knew the men, who were roommates.

The results of a sexual assault exam on Jocelyn are pending, according to police.

On Tuesday, police had released photos from the surveillance footage, initially identifying the two men as persons of interest.