Current:Home > MarketsJudge sets $10M bond for second Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
Judge sets $10M bond for second Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl
View
Date:2025-04-13 15:15:20
HOUSTON (AP) — A second Venezuelan man living in the U.S. illegally and accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl was ordered on Tuesday to be held on a $10 million bond.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, is one of two men charged with capital murder in Jocelyn Nungaray’s death. The other is Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26.
State District Judge Josh Hill set the bond during a court hearing in which prosecutors said authorities found evidence on Martinez-Rangel’s cellphone that they allege showed he was trying to leave the country after police were looking for him following Jocelyn’s death.
Mario Madrid, a court-appointed attorney for Martinez-Rangel, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
During a court hearing Monday, Hill also ordered that Peña be held on a $10 million bond.
Nungaray’s body was found June 17 in a shallow creek after police said she sneaked out of her nearby home the night before. She was strangled to death, according to the medical examiner. Prosecutors allege the men took off her pants, tied her up and killed her before throwing her body in the bayou.
She had disappeared during a walk to a convenience store, police said.
The two men are Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally in March, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and later released with orders to appear in court at a later date.
Both Peña and Martinez-Rangel are now under immigration holds by federal authorities, meaning they would remain in custody even if they could post bond.
Nungaray’s funeral is set for Thursday in Houston.
veryGood! (71)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Warriors star Steph Curry says he's open to a political career after basketball
- The Best Blue & Green Light Therapy Devices for Reduced Acne & Glowing Skin, According to a Dermatologist
- Musher penalized after killing moose still wins record 6th Iditarod
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- AP PHOTOS: Muslims around the world observe holy month of Ramadan with prayer, fasting
- Jenna Dewan Reveals How Fiancé Steve Kazee Slid Into Her DMs After Channing Tatum Breakup
- 3 women and dog found dead, man fatally shot by police in North Las Vegas: Police
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- AP PHOTOS: Muslims around the world observe holy month of Ramadan with prayer, fasting
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Get a Ninja Portable Blender for Only $45, $350 Worth of Beauty for $50: Olaplex, Tula & More Daily Deals
- 'Dateline' correspondent Keith Morrison remembers stepson Matthew Perry: 'Not easy'
- Trade: Pittsburgh Steelers sending WR Diontae Johnson to Carolina Panthers
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- South Dakota gov. promotes work on her teeth by Texas dentist in infomercial-style social media post
- India’s new citizenship law excludes Muslims. Why?
- Appeal coming from North Carolina Republicans in elections boards litigation
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
TEA Business College generously supports children’s welfare
Police search for a University of Missouri student in Nashville
Israel likely to face Hamas resistance for years to come, U.S. intelligence assessment says
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Delete a background? Easy. Smooth out a face? Seamless. Digital photo manipulation is now mainstream
TEA Business College: the choice for professional investment
'Devastating': Missing Washington woman's body found in Mexican cemetery, police say