HOUSTON (AP) — Prosecutors in Texas announced Friday that they will seek the death penalty against two Venezuelan men who are accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl after they had entered the U.S. illegally.
The death of Jocelyn Nungaray was among several cases this year that became flashpoints in the debate over the nation’s immigration policies. Nungaray’s mother campaigned for President-elect Donald Trump, calling for better control of the border in the wake of her daughter’s death.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said her office would file an official court notice later Friday that prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26. Each man has been charged with capital murder for Nungaray’s June 16 death. Martinez-Rangel and Peña each remained jailed on $10 million bonds.
“Jocelyn’s murder was as vile, brutal and senseless as any case in my tenure as district attorney,” Ogg said in a statement. “And it was made worse by knowing that these two men were here illegally and, had they been held after being captured at the border, they would never have had the opportunity to murder Jocelyn and destroy her family’s future.”
A new district attorney, Sean Teare, will take over prosecuting the case as Ogg lost her reelection bid in November and is set to leave office at the end of the month.
Daniel Werlinger, one of Peña's attorneys, said in an email that prosecutors had already notified defense lawyers last month about the decision to seek the death penalty.
“Today’s announcement by the outgoing District Attorney is old news,” Werlinger said.
Emails were sent seeking comment from attorneys for Martinez-Rangel.
Prosecutors allege the two men kidnapped, sexually assaulted and strangled the girl before leaving her body in shallow water below a bridge. Her body was found in a creek on June 17. A medical examiner concluded she had been strangled.
Martinez-Rangel and Peña had been arrested near El Paso by the U.S. Border Patrol after entering the country without documentation. Both were released and given notices to appear in court at a later date. Martinez-Rangel was apprehended by Border Patrol in March and Peña in May.
Republicans used Nungaray’s death and other cases in which immigrants who entered the country illegally were accused of committing violent crimes to criticize how President Joe Biden managed the U.S.-Mexico border during his administration. In another case, Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan man, was sentenced to life in prison last month for the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
Trump has alleged that migrants have caused skyrocketing crime rate. Multiple studies show immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans.
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FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump comforts Alexis Nungaray and Joamel Guevara, mother and uncle of Jocelyn Nungaray, during an event along the southern border with Mexico, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led out of the courtroom after bail was set for $10 million, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
FILE - Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
Cincinnati (5-8) at Tennessee (3-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 5.
Against the spread: Bengals 7-6; Titans 2-11.
Series record: Tennessee leads 41-37-1.
Last meeting: Titans beat the Bengals 27-3 on Oct. 1, 2023.
Last week: Bengals beat the Cowboys 27-20; Titans lost to the Jaguars 10-6.
Bengals offense: overall (9), rush (29), pass (1), scoring (6)
Bengals defense: overall (26), rush (23), pass (27), scoring (31)
Titans offense: overall (29), rush (18), pass (29), scoring (30)
Titans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (1), scoring (27)
Turnover differential: Bengals 0; Titans plus-11
QB Joe Burrow. He leads the NFL with 3,706 yards passing and 33 touchdown passes. He also has six games passing for at least 300 yards and seven with at least three TD passes. He can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young as the only quarterbacks to do that in five straight games Sunday. Burrow has thrown at least two TD passes in six of seven road games this season, and he has three TD passes with no interceptions against the Titans.
Will Levis. The second-year quarterback is trying to blossom under first-year coach Brian Callahan much as Burrow did in Cincinnati where Callahan was his offensive coordinator the past five seasons. Levis aggravated the AC sprain in his right, throwing shoulder when sacked just before halftime of last week's loss. But he has not been intercepted in the past two games. He also has thrown for a career-high 1,827 yards and 12 TDs this season.
The Bengals bring the NFL's best passing offense and most potent duo in Burrow and WR Ja'Marr Chase to face off against the league's best defense against the pass. The Titans are holding opponents to just 175.5 yards passing a game, and they rank second against the run. Cincinnati is averaging an NFL-best 271.6 yards passing. That's why the Bengals have scored on 41 straight trips inside an opponent's 20 going back to the third quarter of Week 1. It's the longest active streak in the NFL, and their TD rate on such drives is 69%. Only Baltimore is better.
Bengals: Burrow hurt his left knee and finished Monday night's game wearing a compression sleeve. He has no injury designation after practicing in some fashion all week. ... DT Sheldon Rankins is out with an illness.
Titans: RB Tony Pollard is questionable with an ankle issue. He missed two straight practices before being limited Friday. ... Rookie LT JC Latham was added to the injury report with a hip issue after being limited Thursday but practiced fully Friday. ... K Nick Folk is dealing with a sore groin, which caused the Titans to sign Brayden Narveson to the practice squad as insurance. LB Kenneth Murray missed last week's game with an injured hamstring and is questionable after being limited Friday. LB Otis Reese has been limited by an ankle, had crutches at his locker Thursday and is questionable after missing two straight practices. CB Roger McCreary is questionable after being limited Friday after missing the previous game with an injured shoulder.
As former AFC Central rivals, the Titans are the Bengals' third-most played opponent in franchise history with Cincinnati playing only Pittsburgh and Cleveland more. ... The Titans are 7-5 in Tennessee since the old Oilers relocated from Houston in 1997. ... The Bengals have won seven of the past 10 overall, including going 4-3 in Nashville since the NFL realigned and split the division rivals in 2002. ... This is the fifth game between these teams have played in a five-year span. The Bengals beat the Titans in a divisional playoff game in Tennessee in January 2022. This is the third straight season these teams have met — all in Tennessee. They’ve split each of the past two games. ... The home team has won four of the past five in this series.
The Bengals are a win away from the franchise's 400th in the regular season. ... The Bengals need to win out to extend the franchise's streak of winning seasons to four straight. ... The Bengals snapped a three-game losing streak with Monday night's win. … Burrow hooked up WR Ja’Marr Chase for a 40-yard TD with 1:01 left to seal the win. … Chase leads the NFL in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,319) and a career-high TD catches (15). ... Chase can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 catches, 1,400 yards receiving and 15 TD catches in a season joining Marvin Harrison (2001), Randy Moss (2003), Jerry Rice (1995) and Cooper Kupp (2021). ... Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL with 12 1/2 sacks. … K Cade York, picked up by the Bengals after Evan McPherson went on the injured list, hit both of his field-goal tries and made all three PATs. … RB Chase Brown has compiled 735 yards and six touchdowns. Against the Cowboys he rushed for 58 yards and caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. … Bengals S Geno Stone got his second interception of the season against the Cowboys. CB Cam Taylor-Britt also has two…. LB Germaine Pratt leads the Bengals in tackles with 117. ... Seven of the Titans' losses have been by more than one score. ... RB Tony Pollard had his sixth game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, including 102 yards rushing last week. He needs 63 yards rushing for his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season. ... WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is tied for fourth in the NFL with a career-high eight TD catches. ... WR Calvin Ridley had a team-high seven catches for 59 yards last week. ... LB Harold Landry has a team-high seven sacks, giving him at least seven for a third straight season and fourth in his career. ... LB Arden Key has two TFLs and a sack in two of the past three home games. ... LB Luke Gifford had a career-high 11 tackles last week. ... Reese had his first career interception last week. ... CB Chidobe Awuzie, who spent the past three seasons in Cincinnati, had his first interception of the season last week.
Chase. He is coming off a 14-catch, 177-yard performance with two TDs. That was his sixth career game with at least 175 yards receiving, tying him for second most by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, center front, celebrates with teammates after intercepting a Jacksonville Jaguars pass during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan paces the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow argues an intentional grounding penalty with officials during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) can't make a reception as he is defended by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco (5) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. The Cincinnati Bengals won 27-20. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) is helped off the field by teammate offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (77) after he was injured on a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walter IV)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow talks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. The Cincinnati Bengals won 27-20. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
