Harris County’s Democratic District Attorney slammed the “broken system” that allowed the two illegal immigrants accused of brutally murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray loose in the US with only ankle monitors to keep track of them.
“They should have never been released when they crossed over into El Paso, but we have a broken system and Jocelyn’s death resulted. And it’s just hard when you know something could have been prevented like a child’s death,” Kim Ogg told local channel KPRC on Thursday.
She said that the ankle monitors have proved completely ineffective. Both Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 21, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, who are charged with capital murder, given the GPS trackers when they crossed illegally into the US earlier this year.
“Our immigration system, the border, has been broken for decades. Any Texan knows that. We’ve seen it for a long time here. What’s different is we’re seeing people from other countries, it’s not just immigrants from Mexico,” Ogg said.
“We’re seeing immigrants from China, from the islands, from South America, like these individuals — that’s new. And I think it’s increasing the risk factor for regular people here. So I’m hoping our government will work together in a bipartisan fashion to keep the public safe by making our borders safer.”
Days after Nungaray’s killing on June 16, Peña cut his ankle monitor — which was later recovered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security sources previously told The Post.
ICE took Martinez-Rangel out of the monitoring program altogether because he had no known criminal history, source said.
“The ankle monitors give the public a false sense of security, we don’t rely on them as prosecutors because we see too many problems with folks who are supposed to be under supervision and yet aren’t and that’s the case with these two guys,” said Ogg.
As of June 15, ICE has been monitoring more than 19,000 migrants released into the country with ankle monitors, according to federal data.
Ogg also said authorities were alerted to the suspects by a cousin who received a call from the two Venezuelan nationals after Jocelyn was murdered.
Martinez-Rangel and Peña allegedly lured Jocelyn under a bridge after she snuck out of her home the night she was killed. The two illegal immigrants allegedly stripped her naked from the waist down and assaulted her for two hours, disturbing court documents allege.
Jocelyn’s feet and hands were bound and she was covered in cuts, according to KPRC.
The illegal immigrant pair were seen that night on surveillance video walking into a 7-Eleven alongside Jocelyn before they walked her to the bridge, where her lifeless body was found the next morning, authorities said.
Peña Ramos and Martinez-Rangel are being held on $10 million bond.
Ogg said she is hoping to pursue the death penalty, but is up against Texas law which requires more evidence due to the victim’s age.
The potential for the death penalty hinges on the results of a rape kit, which haven’t yet been released.
Ogg also said the case could change if there’s evidence the two had rap sheets in Venezuela, but said that since the country is uncooperative with US authorities, it is not likely much will be revealed.
Nungaray will be laid to rest Thursday at a funeral that will be open to the public.
