Current:Home > ScamsPoinbank Exchange|Judge sets $10M bond for second Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl -Ascend Wealth Education
Poinbank Exchange|Judge sets $10M bond for second Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-07 11:34:05
HOUSTON (AP) — A second Venezuelan man living in the U.S. illegally and Poinbank Exchangeaccused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl was ordered on Tuesday to be held on a $10 million bond.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, is one of two men charged with capital murder in Jocelyn Nungaray’s death. The other is Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26.
State District Judge Josh Hill set the bond during a court hearing in which prosecutors said authorities found evidence on Martinez-Rangel’s cellphone that they allege showed he was trying to leave the country after police were looking for him following Jocelyn’s death.
Mario Madrid, a court-appointed attorney for Martinez-Rangel, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
During a court hearing Monday, Hill also ordered that Peña be held on a $10 million bond.
Nungaray’s body was found June 17 in a shallow creek after police said she sneaked out of her nearby home the night before. She was strangled to death, according to the medical examiner. Prosecutors allege the men took off her pants, tied her up and killed her before throwing her body in the bayou.
She had disappeared during a walk to a convenience store, police said.
The two men are Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally in March, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and later released with orders to appear in court at a later date.
Both Peña and Martinez-Rangel are now under immigration holds by federal authorities, meaning they would remain in custody even if they could post bond.
Nungaray’s funeral is set for Thursday in Houston.
veryGood! (66)
Related
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Donald Sutherland, the towering actor whose career spanned ‘M.A.S.H.’ to ‘Hunger Games,’ dies at 88
- Hall of Famer Michael Irvin says wife Sandy suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s
- U.S. soldier Gordon Black sentenced in Russia to almost 4 years on charges of theft and threats of murder
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- California voters lose a shot at checking state and local tax hikes at the polls
- Judy Garland’s hometown is raising funds to purchase stolen ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers
- North Carolina Senate gives initial approval to legalizing medical marijuana
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Pennsylvania court will decide whether skill game terminals are gambling machines
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Texas court finds Kerry Max Cook innocent of 1977 murder, ending decades-long quest for exoneration
- Princess Kate absent at Royal Ascot amid cancer treatment: What she's said to expect
- 4 suspects arrested in fatal drive-by shooting of University of Arizona student
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Travis Kelce responds to typo on Chiefs' Super Bowl ring: 'I don’t give a (expletive)'
- Average long-term US mortgage rate falls again, easing to lowest level since early April
- Lululemon's New Crossbody Bag Is Pretty in Pink & the Latest We Made Too Much Drops Are Stylish AF
Recommendation
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
Get an Extra 25% Off Kate Spade Styles That Are Already 70% Off, 20% off Kosas, and More Major Deals
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, The Price Is Right
9-1-1 Crew Member Rico Priem's Cause of Death Revealed
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Authorities arrest Alabama man wanted in connection with multiple homicides
Tale of a changing West
Starting Pilates? Here’s Everything You’ll Need To Crush Your Workout at Home or in the Studio