‘They took away my first born’: Mother shares heartfelt plea for answers after 12-year-old daughter found strangled (2024)

HOUSTON – The mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the girl who was found dead in a creek Monday morning in north Houston, is talking about her loss for the first time since she learned about her daughter’s murder.

Tears streamed down Alexis Nungaray’s face as she spoke with KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel about her 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn.

Alexis described her first-born daughter as “goofy” and said she had her own “little spunk.” She also said Jocelyn never followed the crowd. “She always stood up for what was right,” said Alexis.

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

“It’s like it’s not real. I keep hearing everything and everybody tell me everything, and I hear it and it’s not registering,” she said.

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

HPD said she had snuck out of the family’s apartment off Rankin Road sometime between 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

• ‘Smart and sweet’: Family shares memories of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray after she was found dead in Houston creek

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

It wasn’t until Alexis woke up around 6 a.m. and started her normal routine to wake up her 5-year-old son and Jocelyn that she noticed Jocelyn was missing, and her phone was also missing.

She said she looked everywhere around the house, walked around their apartment complex and then got into her car. Alexis reportedly pinged her daughter’s cell phone, which traced back to the creek where she ran and saw police officers canvassing in the area.

She said she told officers that her daughter was missing, and it wasn’t until an hour later she received a call that it was Jocelyn.

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Around 6 a.m. Monday, a woman said she called 911 to report the child’s body in the water. The Houston Police Department Dive Team responded and recovered her body.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, ruled the 12-year-old died from strangulation on Tuesday. Medical examiners confirmed Wednesday that the body was identified as Jocelyn’s.

• Medical examiner releases identity of 12-year-old girl found strangled in Houston creek

Houston police released surveillance photos from the 7-Eleven convenience store where the girl was last seen. In these images, investigators saw two persons of interest they would like to question in connection to the girl’s death.

Investigators told KPRC 2 reporter Bryce Newberry the two men were the last to be seen with the girl, and they seemed to have first encountered her at the store. On Wednesday, a source gave KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel new surveillance photos of Jocelyn at the convenience store around 12:17 a.m. Monday.

Alexis said she has no clue who those men were in the surveillance photos and suspects that they are Hispanic males, possibly who live in their apartment complex or walked from the skate park.

“I want karma to hit them. I’m angry. They took advantage of her. She’s so young. She’s 12. I want justice. I want them to come forward. I want whoever has seen them to please call police. They took my baby away.”

• ‘Like a bad dream’: Police say 12-year-old found dead in N. Houston creek was strangled, seek 2 persons of interest

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

She had a message for the men involved in her daughter’s death: “They took away my first born. I was a teen mom, she helped me grow an mature. She’s turned into such a beautiful young lady.”

She said she and Jocelyn have gone through a lot these past few months with her mental health.

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

• New clues in the case of 12-year-old girl found dead in north Houston creek

Investigators said Jocelyn’s boyfriend was the last person who spoke with her on the phone. He reportedly told officials that he heard her speaking with the two men at the gas station before they hung up.

Alexis said she needs to know what the boyfriend heard because her daughter has never run off with strangers and had to be fighting for her life before her death.

“She just said she was just walking around different stores,” Jocelyn’s mother said. “I don’t know why, what possessed her to walk around late at night in this area out of all places. I always told her to never leave the house, never leave unattended, always be safe -- there’s people around here that are crazy. I don’t think she ever thought it would face her.”

Alexis said she wouldn’t wish this pain on her worse enemy and has been blown away with the amount of support they are getting.

“Somebody is going to catch them, someone’s going to see them, I believe in faith, and I put it all in God, Jesus Christ that they are going to be found,” she said.

As for why she thinks Jocelyn left home, Alexis responded, “I believe we’ve all been there at some point. Being young, dumb, making dumb decisions and thinking nothing’s really going to happen. And this unfortunately, her making this decision cost her life.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe for a tribute to Jocelyn. They also told us that they are planning a memorial for her, and they’ll let us know when an official date is set.

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