Important events surrounding the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray

HOUSTON – KPRC 2 has been following the latest information in the case of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the girl found strangled June 17 in a north Houston creek.

Jocelyn’s death sent a wave of shock throughout the Houston area as the search for those involved in her murder was still underway.

As more information becomes available, we will provide you with the latest updates in this case.

Here is a timeline of the events leading up to Jocelyn’s death and some answers to what happened:

June 16, 2024

The night before Jocelyn died, her mother, Alexis Nungaray, told KPRC 2 that the last time she saw her daughter alive was Sunday night, before they went to bed around 10 p.m. Her last words to Jocelyn were not to stay up late, stating that she was coming with her mother to work the next day.

Houston police said Jocelyn sneaked out of the family’s apartment on Rankin Road between 10 p.m. and midnight.

Investigators said Jocelyn’s boyfriend was the last person to speak to her on the phone. He reportedly told authorities that he heard her talking to the two men at the gas station before they hung up.

Christian Goffney, who works at the 7-Eleven near Rankin and Kuykendahl, said he had just finished his shift when he noticed Jocelyn hiding behind a nearby storage unit around 11:30 p.m. He noticed police in the area but didn’t think anything was wrong. .

June 17, 2024

Around 12:17 a.m., surveillance photos show Jocelyn at the 7-Eleven convenience store. In these images, investigators saw two persons of interest who they would like to question in connection with the death of the young girl.

Around 3 a.m., Alexis said Jocelyn’s cat was “going crazy,” but thought the cat was with her daughter since she sleeps with her pet at night.

A woman said she drove past the creek near 400 West Rankin Road, saw a body and immediately called 911 around 6:15 a.m.

The Houston Police Department dive team responded and recovered the body.

At the same time, Alexis woke up around 6 a.m. and began her usual routine of waking up her 5-year-old son and Jocelyn. It is then that she notices that Jocelyn has disappeared.

She said she looked around the house, walked around their apartment complex, then got in her car. Alexis allegedly searched for the location of her daughter’s cell phone, which went back to the creek where she was running, and saw police canvassing in the area.

She said she told police her daughter was missing and it wasn’t until an hour later that she received a call saying it might have been Jocelyn.

At 5:30 p.m., a press conference was held by Houston police to alert the media and community of the discovery of a body in a creek. Houston Mayor John Whitmire joined officers to discuss the discovery of the girl’s body being recovered.

Investigators said foul play was involved in his death and they were searching for those involved.

June 18, 2024

At a Houston City Council meeting around noon, Mayor Whitmire gave more details about the case, saying the 12-year-old girl’s boyfriend was speaking with two adults before she was killed.

“It appears he last spoke to her at a convenience store around midnight and heard her talking to two adults,” he said Tuesday.

A source told KPRC 2 that 7/11 off Rankin and Kuykendahl were monitoring the girl inside the store. Christian Goffney, who works at the store, told KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel that he would see the 12-year-old girl regularly during July 11th.

At 8:14 p.m., Houston police announced that the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled that the 12-year-old died of strangulation. Police also released several surveillance photos from the 7-Eleven convenience store of two persons of interest they would like to question in connection with the girl’s death.

Investigators told KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry the two men were the last to be seen with the girl and they don’t believe they ever left the area. The men did not arrive at the store with the girl, investigators said, but first passed each other there.

The family asked for help to get the attackers off the streets.

June 19, 2024

Harris County medical examiners confirmed the girl’s identity as 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

A source gave KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel new surveillance photos of Jocelyn at the convenience store around 12:17 a.m. on June 17. In the video, she allegedly returned to the store where she and the man in the white hat were at the door. around 12:58 a.m.

The family has created a GoFundMe to honor Jocelyn. They also told us they were planning a memorial for her and would let us know when an official date would be set.

Around 5 p.m., the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn, Alexis Nungaray, spoke of her loss for the first time since learning of her daughter’s murder.

Tears streamed down Alexis’ face as she spoke about her daughter with KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel.

Alexis described her eldest daughter as “goofy” and said she had her own “little spunk”.

She also said that Jocelyn never followed the crowd. “She always stood up for what was right,” Alexis said.

The heartbroken mom said she feels like she’s in an alternate universe where she’s living this constant nightmare that doesn’t stop.

Alexis said she knows her daughter fought hard and is a fighter, repeating that “she needs justice, she doesn’t deserve this.”

She said she and Jocelyn have been through a lot in recent months with her mental health.

Alexis hopes someone will come forward and hopes the universe gives her daughter’s killers “what they deserve.”

June 20, 2024

Sources told KPRC 2 that two men, considered persons of interest, were captured by police. The unidentified men were also last seen on surveillance videos with Jocelyn hours before her death.

KPRC 2 reporter Re’Chelle Turner and photojournalist Roger Franco were on scene in north Houston, where there was a heavy law enforcement presence at an apartment complex on Northborough Drive, north of Houston, near where Jocelyn’s body was found.

Our cameras were the only ones at the scene and captured the moment the two men were handcuffed and placed in the back of police cars.

Sources also corroborated and confirmed to KPRC 2 Investigator Mario Diaz what we saw at the scene. Minutes after KPRC 2 investigators contacted HPD Chief Larry Satterwhite for confirmation of what we discovered, HPD released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that both men are detained but have not released any further details.

HPD confirmed it will hold a press conference to share more details at 2 p.m.

Anyone with information on the identity of the two persons of interest or in this case is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.