HOUSTON — Two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray of Houston, Texas.
Authorities are investigating after her bodywas found in a creek in north Houston.
Houston police said the girl was found dead in the creek at 400 W. Rankin Road at about 6:15 a.m. Monday morning.
During a Monday evening news conference, Mayor John Whitmire joined Satterwhite and investigators to ask for the community’s help and support the girl’s family.
“The city’s doing everything they can to find the perpetrator of this heinous crime,” the mayor said. “It’s the worst horror for a family.”
The Harris County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to confirm the girl’s identity and cause of death.
During a city council meeting Tuesday, Whitmire provided further details on the investigation.
The mayor said that the victim was on the phone with her 13-year-old boyfriend for much of the night. He said the boyfriend last spoke to her while she was at a convenience store, and she appeared to be speaking with two unidentified adults at the time.
“We believe somebody did this horrible thing to her,” acting chief of police Larry Satterwhite said. “I’ve talked to this child’s mother. Of course, she is devastated. Her family is devastated. Her little girl is gone.”
Investigators learned that the girl left her home sometime after 10 p.m. Sunday night. Police said the family was not aware that she had left their residence, and a missing person’s report was not filed.
Investigators have recovered some surveillance video but they’re still working to get more information about what happened.
He said he doesn’t know if she ever got into a vehicle and wouldn’t elaborate on the condition in which her body was found. Investigators are looking into whether she was communicating with anyone.
“We’re still looking into communications that were there and any other information that we could find from it,” Lt. Hope said.
Anyone with information is being asked to call HPD’s Homicide Division at 713 308-3600 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering an up to $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or charges.
