Two illegal alien males from Venezuela, Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, and Juan Jose Rangel Martinez, are facing capital murder charges in connection with the death of a Houston girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, who was discovered strangled in a stream.
Capital murder charges are the most serious kind of murder charges intended for the most extreme situations with aggravating circumstances. In jurisdictions that have legalized the death penalty, a capital murder conviction may lead to the death sentence. Convictions for capital murder often carry the death sentence or the prospect of life in prison without parole.
Both males entered the United States illegally. The Houston Police Department has verified that Pena Ramos entered the United States illegally in May after crossing into El Paso, Texas. He was later released with a court appearance notice.
No word yet on the suspect’s status from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite many attempts by the Houston Police Department to get in touch with them. Alexis Nungaray, who is Nungaray’s mother, said she is relieved they are not in the wild. Police followed their every move both leading up to and after the murder by reviewing security footage.
Nungaray was at a convenience store where she was chatting on the phone with her 13-year-old boyfriend after she sneaked out of her apartment. Following their encounter with Nungaray, Martinez, and Ramos were observed walking together to a 7-Eleven. The images were obtained from the 7-Eleven CCTV footage where she was last seen.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire demanded a prompt trial for the two accused after their detention.
While running for mayor of Houston, Whitmire pledged to increase the presence of police officers and fortify the city’s Community Policing Program, according to his campaign website.
He promised to put violent offenders in prison and remove illicit firearms from circulation, help the Houston Police Department improve their de-escalation training and respond more effectively to incidents involving mental health, and make “Second Chance” programs more available to help reintegrate formerly incarcerated individuals into society. Together with local organizations, he hoped to provide after-school activities and summer jobs to kids.
