One of the illegal immigrant suspects charged with killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray last week had his bail set at $10 million during his first court appearance in Houston, Texas.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, was called a flight risk by Judge Josh Hill and was told that if he posts bail, he must wear a GPS monitor and remain under house arrest.
“She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was going to go very far. And these monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family of watching her,” Nungaray’s mother Alexis told reporters after the hearing Monday.
“I just want people to remember, I know this is very high-profile case, but she was still my first born. I was a teen mom, I fought for her at 15. I’m 27 now, I’m still fighting for her,” she continued. “Just remember that she was a very special little girl that deserves her justice and I know she is going to make a difference in this world for all children and now it’s my job to make sure it continues to happen.”
The GoFundMe page for Nungaray surpassed its goal just hours after it was created over the weekend.
The page, which originally set a goal of $35,000, raised more than $53,000.
Investigators said that Nungaray died by strangulation and police were able to trace the movements of the suspects by using surveillance videos.
Prosecutors stated that the pair “lured” Nungaray “under a bridge” where they “remained with her for over two hours, took her pants off, tied her up and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Pena Ramos recently enter the United States illegally.
