Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, a suspect in the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston last week, appeared in Harris County Criminal Court on Monday. It was disclosed during the court proceedings that he was wearing an ankle monitor from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) at the time of the alleged murder.
He was issued the ankle bracelet after being arrested by Border Patrol agents for illegal entry into the country and subsequently released from custody. In a statement to Fox News on Friday, ICE indicated that he “illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole, or admission by a U.S. immigration officer at an unspecified date and location.”
ICE also has a retainer on Ramos, the agency said.
Judge Josh Hill, overseeing Monday’s proceedings, also remarked that Ramos and 21-year-old Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, the other suspect in the case, were accused of attempting to collect funds to leave town.
During the hearing, the judge set Ramos’ bail at $10 million, which exceeded the $5 million requested by prosecutors.
NEW: One of the illegal Venezuelan migrants who allegedly r*p*d 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray appears in court where a $10 million bond was set.
The judge noted that Franklin Jose Pena Ramos was an “astronomical” flight risk.
New court documents reveal horrifying new details,… pic.twitter.com/Aw3sHBCKXL
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 25, 2024
Pena’s defence had proposed a $1 million bail, but the judge argued that he posed an “astronomical” risk of flight and suggested the likelihood of his return to court was “almost nonexistent.”
If Ramos were to post bail, the judge ordered him to wear a GPS monitor, be under 24/7 house arrest, stay within Harris County, refrain from contacting the other suspect or the victim’s family, avoid contact with minors, abstain from possessing firearms, drugs, or alcohol, and surrender his passport.
Ramos and Martinez allegedly enticed the young girl under a bridge in Houston, where they proceeded to restrain and fatally harm 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.
Police stated that investigators utilized surveillance footage to monitor the activities of the two individuals both before and after the homicide.
Both suspects face charges of capital murder, with Martinez scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday.
