Mother of 12-year-old girl found dead asks her daughter's killer or killers to turn themselves in
HOUSTON - "She was an amazing little girl, amazing," said Alexis Nungaray Jocelyn,'s mother. "I was so excited to see the woman she was going to turn into."
But Jocelyn Nungaray will forever be 12-years-old.
ORIGINAL STORY: Rankin Road death: Body of 12-year-old girl found in creek, police asking for help
"She's gone through a lot these last couple of months, struggling with mental health, wanting to take her own life, her being saved," Alexis said. "God had other plans for her. She was supposed to be here. She's meant to be here."
Police believe Jocelyn snuck out of her apartment between 10 p.m. Sunday night and midnight on Monday.
Her 13-year-old boyfriend reportedly told police he talked to her on the phone around midnight and she was talking to a couple of men in a car at the 7Eleven in the 12400 block of Kuykendahl.
(Photo: Gofund Me)
Alexis says she didn't know Jocelyn was gone until Tuesday morning.
"I looked everywhere, walked around, nothing ," she said. "I ran, got in my car to where her phone pinged right behind us in the park. There was already crime scene tape and cops."
Jocelyn's body was found in a shallow creek in the 400 block of West Rankin. She had been strangled.
"My baby didn't deserve this at all," said Alexis.
Police released photos of two men seen at the gas station when Jocelyn was there. They are being called persons of interest.
Jocelyn's mom says she doesn't recognize them.
"There's a lot of crazy people out there, and just by looking at them, you never really could know," she said.
Community Support for the Nungaray Family
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to assist with funeral expenses, raising $9,000 so far. Victoria, a close friend of Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis, said, "Please give her and her family the time they need to grieve in peace."
For more information or to offer tips, contact Houston police at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.