Houston prosecutors seek records from ICE and CBP on illegal accused of child murder.
Judge requested immigration records for Johan Jose Martinez Rangel.
On Wednesday, Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, one of two illegal immigrants from Venezuela accused of capital murder in the killing of Houston 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, appeared in court a day after her mother testified before a congressional committee about migrant crime.
The defense and prosecutors debated the extent of a possible gag order in the case, and Judge Hill instructed them to adhere to the state's guidelines for professional conduct.
On Tuesday, prosecutors requested access to all of Rangel's Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection records in two court filings. The defense did not object, and the judge granted the request.
In July, Franklin Pena and Rangel were apprehended on charges of capital murder. It was reported that both suspects had entered the country unlawfully just prior to the murder.
Prosecutors laid out the allegations bluntly in a bail request after the arrests.
In June, Assistant District Attorney Michael Abner wrote that the defendant led a 12-year-old girl under a bridge, where he and his accomplice stayed with her for more than two hours, removed her pants, tied her up, and murdered her before disposing of her body in the bayou.
A day after Nungaray's mother testified before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, the arraignment took place, with the mother calling on lawmakers to secure the border as she revealed a harrowing timeline of events.
Jocelyn, who had left her family's home to grab a late night soda, was led out of a convenience store by Rangel and Pena. Unfortunately, she never made it home.
"Her mother testified before the House Judiciary Committee that Monday morning, June 17th, was terrifying. She woke up to the news that her child was missing and spent two minutes searching the area where her phone was being pinged, only to arrive at the crime scene tape and officers by a bridge."
She said that at the scene, officers couldn't provide answers. However, 45 minutes later, she received a phone call from police asking her to come downtown.
"My daughter is still missing, and I'm still clinging to hope that she's out there somewhere," she said. "They've placed me in the Homicide Division."
On Tuesday, the committee was informed by Nungaray that the suspects believed the creek below would wash away their DNA after they threw her daughter off the bridge.
"The Biden-Harris administration's open border policies and catch and release led to the enrollment of the individuals in the Alternatives to Detention program, resulting in their release into the United States. Tragically, just three weeks later, they would take the life of Jocelyn Nungaray's daughter."
Rangel is due back in court on Nov. 11.
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