HOUSTON, Texas (TND) — Two suspects in Texas were each charged with capital murder in connection to the death of a 12-year-old girl who was raped, strangled, and later found in a creek, according to authorities.

The Houston Police Department on Thursday named the child as Jocelyn Nungaray. Nungaray's body was discovered in a shallow creek around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, authorities said.

"It was a horrible scene,” Acting Chief of Police Larry Satterwhite said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Authorities said two men -- Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Penaramos, 26 -- were detained Thursday morning for questioning and later arrested on capital murder charges.

Police previously asked the public to help them track down the pair and thanked everyone for their input and support. Satterwhite said surveillance footage shared by the community helped police determine where Nungaray and her assailants were moments leading up to her death.

Lt. Stephen Hope said investigators learned the suspects had dinner together the night of the murder, which was Sunday. After their meal, they left the restaurant and began walking in the area. Security video shows the suspects approach Nungaray, said Hope. He said they all later walk to a convenient store, then to a bridge before she was killed.

Authorities said an investigation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled the girl's cause of death as strangulation.

Whitmire said the child’s family is devastated. He added her mother still hasn’t seen her child’s body “due to the investigation.”

“If you just put yourself in their place, they don’t know which way to turn. They have very limited resources, but they’re strong, they’re brave,” the mayor said.

Satterwhite said the department reached out to Homeland Security Investigations to determine whether the suspects are in the U.S. legally.

Originally Posted By yabbayabba⏩