Jocelyn Nungaray: Suspects' roommate saw surveillance images while with them, tried not to react, docs state
HOUSTON - Court documents reveal new details about how investigators tracked down the suspected killers of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.
According to a search warrant obtained by FOX 26, a man living with the suspects, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Peña, recognized them from surveillance photos shown on the news.
On Sunday night, the tipster told Houston Police Department investigators he went out to eat with the men at Ojos Locos and then left by himself, around 10 p.m. while the two men stayed at the restaurant. Records say the man did not know the suspects' real names but only knew one of them as "Gordo" and the other as "Gordo's cousin."
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The tipster said he moved into the apartment on Northborough with the suspects on Monday, June 17, after being kicked out of his own apartment.
Documents state on Tuesday, June 18, the man was sitting in the apartment with Martinez-Rangel and Peña watching TV when he saw the news about Nungaray's murder and images of the suspects released by HPD. The tipster said he "tried not to react" to seeing the two men's pictures, but was sure it was them, records state.
He remained calm and contacted a family member in Laredo, who then reached out to HPD to report the situation.
The family member told HPD officials he couldn't speak with the tipster because both suspects would hear. Officials say the man made up an excuse to leave the apartment and was picked up by an HPD officer outside a food store.
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According to authorities, the tipster recounted how he had only lived with Martinez-Rangel and Peña for a couple of days and identified them in a picture he took of the three at Ojos Locos.
Investigators also spoke with the suspects' boss who lives in the same apartment but only knew of the men as "Franklin" and "Chachis" as he did not know their real names. While giving "Franklin" a ride home, the boss said "Franklin" told him "they" made a mistake on Sunday night and hurt someone and the person was dead.
Both Martinez-Rangel and Pena have been charged with capital murder.