HOUSTON — It's every parent's worst nightmare. Their child is missing and not answering their phone. That's what happened to the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray on June 17 when she woke up to find her daughter had snuck out of their apartment.
Alexis Nungaray didn't know yet that Jocelyn's body had already been found in a north Houston creek.
One week later, the death of the little girl with an endearing smile has left people across the Houston area heartbroken and angry.
Here's what we've learned about Jocelyn's last hours.
Sunday, June 16
Alexis put Jocelyn and her 5-year-old brother to bed around 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Police later said they believed Jocelyn snuck out of the apartment sometime after midnight.
Her 13-year-old boyfriend later told police that Jocelyn called him late that night from a convenience store. He said that he could hear her talking with two grown-ups.
Monday, June 17
Jocelyn seen with suspects (WARNING: Contains graphic details)
Houston police said Jocelyn was walking on Kuhkendahl Road early Monday when two men, later identified as Franklin Peña, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, asked her for directions.
The three of them then walked to a 7-Eleven store before the men allegedly lured Jocelyn to a bridge on West Rankin Road. Police said they were there for a couple of hours and they tied the victim up, took her pants off, strangled her and dumped her in the creek.
Girl's body found by passerby
Billie Jean Jackson had just dropped her husband off at work early Monday and was crossing the Rankin Road bridge near Kuykendahl around 6 a.m. when something caught her eye.
"I saw what I thought was a mannequin," Jackson told us.
She turned back to take a closer look and realized it was a "young lady's body" so she called 911.
"It broke my heart when I found out she was 12," an emotional Jackson said. "I was devastated. We have a 12-year-old granddaughter and it broke my heart."
Mother's frantic search
Alexis said she took a shower that morning and then went to wake up her children but Jocelyn wasn't in her bedroom. After searching their apartment and around the complex, she got in her car.
“I pinged her phone and it pinged right over there, and I ran. That’s where I saw tape and officers,” Alexis said. “I ran up to them and told them my daughter was missing, they wouldn’t tell me anything.”
About an hour later, she later got a call from HPD with the devastating news. Jocelyn's body had been found in the creek.
“I don’t know why, what possessed her to walk around late at night, in this area of all places," Alexis later said. "I always told her never leave the house, never leave unattended, always be safe. There’s people around here that are crazy.”
Tuesday, June 18
Surveillance photos released
The following night, police released separate surveillance photos of two men at a convenience store. They described them as persons of interest.
Wednesday, June 19
Jocelyn linked to 'persons of interest'
On Wednesday, new surveillance photos obtained by KHOU 11 News showed Jocelyn with one of the men previously identified as a person of interest. In one photo, they were walking into a convenience store. In the other, they appeared to be in a parking lot.
There was also a photo of Jocelyn walking with a drink in her hand.
'You took away my baby'
Also Wednesday, Jocelyn's mother pleaded for anyone with information on the suspects to come forward.
“I’m like angry that they took advantage of her. She was so young. She was 12,. You took my baby away, you took her away,” the anguished mother told us. “Now, I get to let her little brother know his older sister is never coming home.”
Alexis said she was only 15 when she had Jocelyn and she fought to keep her.
“They took away my first-born ... She turned into a beautiful, beautiful young lady," she said. “I was really looking forward to seeing how she was gonna be and they took every opportunity away from me and my family.”
Thursday, June 20
Suspects arrested
Houston police and SWAT team members went to the Canfield Lakes apartments on Northborough Drive early Thursday.
Neighbors at the complex said HPD showed up around 4 a.m. and used a loudspeaker to order Peña and Martinez-Rangel to come out. When they didn't, officers approached the second-floor apartment with weapons drawn.
A witness said one of the guys tried to jump off the balcony to get away, but HPD had the place surrounded and they quickly grabbed him. Witnesses gave us images of the suspects being questioned.
HPD forensic investigators then removed boxes of evidence from their apartment.
We later learned that Martinez-Rangel had bites and scratches on his arms when he was arrested.
Peña told investigators that Martinez-Rangel was the one who was on top of Jocelyn and he's the one who tied her up and threw her into the bayou to get rid of DNA evidence.
One woman who lives in the complex with her 14-year-old daughter was shaken up by the fact the accused killers lived so close.
"It could have been my child, you know, it's very emotional," she told us.
The woman, who asked us not to use her name, said Peña and Martinez-Rangel moved in a few weeks earlier. Other residents told us the men often sat on their balcony and yelled things at women who passed by.
RELATED: One of the men charged with killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray tried to escape, neighbor says
'We are going to be watching you'
At a news conference to announce the arrests, Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said the department worked around the clock to identify the killers and begin the process of finding justice for Jocelyn and her family.
"Their hard work paid off. We were able to find video and trace the movements of the suspects and Jocelyn, all the way to the bayou where she was murdered," Satterwhite said.
Mayor John Whitmire said for him, the case was personal.
"As the mayor, as a grandfather and a father, it doesn't get any worse," Whitmire said.
He credited HPD's tireless efforts as they combined "old-fashioned police work with new technology" to identify the suspects.
Whitmire also credited members of the community and area businesses as everyone came together for Jocelyn and her family. Now that the accused killers are in custody, Whitmire said it's up to the courts to do their job.
"I want to reach out to the court system, the justice system, we are going to be watching you," Whitmire said. "We have filed charges. If there is any circumstance where you deny bail, this is it."
Friday, June 21
Both suspects in the U.S. illegally
ICE confirmed that Peña and Martinez-Rangel are being held on immigration detainers at the Harris County Jail and both "illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location."
On March 14, Martinez-Rangel was taken into U.S. Border Patrol custody near El Paso. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear, the statement said.
Peña was also taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Instead, they came to Houston and were living in the apartment where they were arrested.
Candlelight vigil for Jocelyn
On Friday night, dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil near the bridge where Jocelyn's body was found. Many wore t-shirts with her photo that said "Forever 12."
"She was goofy, had her own personality, one of a kind, trendsetter, loved, loved animals," Alexis told us. "I was looking forward to seeing how beautiful she was going to be."
Whitmire, Satterwhite, Mattress Mack and other community leaders were in the crowd.
Also Friday, the family told Jocelyn's 5-year-old brother that his sister was in heaven.
Family members also announced that Jocelyn's funeral will be held on June 27 at 1 p.m. at Earthman's Resthaven on I-45.
Monday, June 24
On Monday, Peña made his first court appearance. Jocelyn's mother and several other family members were in the courtroom when Judge Josh Hill set his bond at $10 million, citing allegations that he was looking for money to leave town.
"He was talking to his boss, who works in construction, and asking for money, because of what they did, to get out of town," said Assistant District Attorney Meghan Long.
Martinez-Rangel is scheduled to make his first court appearance later this week.
At a news conference after the hearing, District Attorney Kim Ogg said Jocelyn's accused killers aren't eligible for the death penalty under Texas law but that could change if evidence shows that Jocelyn was kidnapped or raped.
"Both underlying offenses would make this capital murder and these individuals death penalty-eligible," Ogg explained. "Make no mistake, this is a horrific crime. And when we take charges, we do it based on the evidence we have at the moment."
If the charges are upgraded, Ogg said they will ask that both men be held without bond.
Tuesday, June 25
Tensions ran high Tuesday when the second capital murder suspect made his first court appearance.
After hearing evidence, the judge set bond for Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel at $10 million.
WARNING: Some of the following details are graphic.
During the hearing, prosecutors said Martinez-Rangel admitted to a witness that he had done something bad, that he’d hurt someone, that the person was dead and that he had to finish what he started.
They also found evidence on Martinez-Rangel's phone that he was looking for ways to leave the country.
After the hearing, Jocelyn's grandmother shouted, "Murderer, look at my face!" as Martinez-Rangel was escorted out of the courtroom, according to multiple witnesses.
"When you’re dealing with the loss of a 12-year-old child who had their whole life ahead of them, this will be an emotional case for prosecutors and family," prosecutor Megan Long said.
Thursday, June 27
Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old Houston girl whose death touched the heart and soul of this city, was laid to rest Thursday following a private funeral.
Dozens of family members and friends gathered at Earthman's Resthaven on the northside to remember Jocelyn and say goodbye. State and local leaders were also there, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Cecilia Abbott, the wife of Gov. Greg Abbott and Mayor John Whitmire.
“We’re sad but we’re outraged and angry that this could happen in our community,” the mayor told the crowd.
Whitmire called Jocelyn a "dynamic young person" who loved her family, including the mother who gave birth to her at 15 and the 5-year-old brother who looked up to her.
A little girl named Gabby spoke about her friend who was funny and had a big heart.
“We got to laugh, play, cry, get on each other’s nerves," Gabby said. "Jocelyn gave me the courage to be myself and speak up for myself and for that, I will always be grateful. I love you, Jocelyn.”
Jocelyn's great-aunt shared favorite memories of the child she adored.
“I’ve been so blessed to have been there when she first came into this world, took her first breath, and I was with her the day before she took her last breath,” Julie Gonzales said through tears.
She said Jocelyn was always a happy baby with bright eyes, a big, beautiful smile and beautiful curly hair. She said as Jocelyn got older she loved to read.