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Bond set at $10M for suspect in 12-year-old Texas girl’s death

(NewsNation) — A Harris County judge set bond at $10 million for one of the two men charged with capital murder in connection to the death of 12-year-old Texas girl Jocelyn Nungaray.

The Houston Police Department said Nungaray’s body was found in a creek early last Monday by a bystander. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.


Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, were arrested at a Houston apartment complex Thursday morning. Ramos was in court Monday, while Martinez is expected to have a hearing Tuesday.

Authorities said the two men had been at a restaurant before meeting Nungaray at a convenience store, then going to the bridge where she was ultimately found.

Both men, roommates who are originally from Venezuela, are under an immigration hold. An ICE spokesperson said the date and location they entered was unknown. On March 14, Martinez was apprehended by Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, and released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Ramos was released on the same order after being apprehended by Border Patrol on May 28, also near El Paso.

NewsNation sources said that Ramos removed an ankle monitor he was given after crossing the border.

Reporting by NewsNation correspondent Ali Bradley contributed to this report.