A suspect in the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston last week was wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) ankle bracelet at the time of the crime.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, one of the suspects behind the murder, appeared in court Monday at Harris County Criminal Court, where it was revealed that he was wearing the ankle monitor at the time he allegedly murdered Nungaray.
The ankle bracelet was provided to him when he was arrested by Border Patrol agents after entering the country illegally and being released from custody, with ICE telling Fox News in a statement Friday that he “illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location.”
ICE also has a retainer on Ramos, the agency said.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, left, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez have been charged in the killing of Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, Texas, on Monday, June 17. (Harris County Jail)
Judge Josh Hill, who presided over Monday’s proceedings, also noted that Ramos and 21-year-old Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, the other suspect in the case, faced allegations that they were attempting to gather money to flee town.
The judge set Ramos’ bail to $10 million during the appearance, more than double the $5 million requested by prosecutors.
Pena’s defense had suggested a bail set at $1 million, but the judge argued he represented an “astronomical” flight risk and said the chances of the suspect returning to court would be “near zero.”
If Ramos were to make bail, the judge ordered that he must wear a GPS monitor, be on house arrest 24/7, remain in Harris County, have no contact with the other suspect or the victim’s family, not have contact with anyone under the age of 18, not be in possession of firearms, drugs, or alcohol, and to surrender his passport.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos appears in court on Monday, June 24. (KRIV)
Ramos and Martinez are accused of luring the young girl under a bridge in Houston before tying her up and killing her.
“In this case the defendant lured a 12-year-old under a bridge, where he and his co-defendant remained with her for over 2 hours, took her pants off, tied her up, and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou,” Harris County Assistant District Attorney Michael Abner wrote.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found strangled to death in a Houston creek this week. (Fox Houston courtesy of the Nungaray family)
Investigators were able to use surveillance video to track the movements of the two before and after the killing, police said.
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Both suspects are charged with capital murder, while Martinez is set to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday.
