The mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was brutally murdered by two illegal immigrants, received a “shocking” phone call from former President Donald Trump minutes before he took the stage to debate President Biden.
Victoria Galvan – who is best friends with Jocelyn’s mother Alexis Nungaray – shared how unexpected the call was and how much it meant to the heartbroken mother, whose daughter was strangled and found floating in a bayou on June 16 just miles from their home in Houston.
“He said something like, ‘I’m going to have a debate in a minute’… He offered his condolences and said he would be in touch,” Galvan said. The New York Post.
“He wanted to… say that he was praying for Alexis and he was thinking of her and he wanted to reach out to her. He said he would reach out to her in a couple of days… I mean, she was really… we were all shocked,” Galvan said.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, both Venezuelan nationals, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. They are each being held on $10 million bail.
Alexis Nungaray approaches the casket of her 12-year-old daughter Jocelyn Nungaray during her funeral service on Thursday in Houston
Former President Donald Trump speaks about immigration and the border during Thursday night’s presidential debate
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was brutally murdered by two Venezuelan migrants on June 16
Immigration and the border were among the key issues the candidates sparred over during Thursday’s debate.
Trump spoke about the recent killings by illegal immigrants who enter the country illegally, while the country is dealing with unprecedented numbers, such as the gruesome death of young Jocelyn Nungaray.
Just weeks before the pre-teens’ murders, Pena Ramos and Rangel Martinez had already been released into the country despite being intercepted by border agents.
During the debate, Trump did not mention Jocelyn’s name, but he did mention the recent murder that authorities say was committed by illegal immigrants.
The other young women who were killed but not named were Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who killed Georgia while jogging in February, and Rachel Morin, 37, a mother of five, who was also killed while jogging along a path in Maryland in August. 2023.
“They’re killing our citizens at a level that we’ve never seen before. And you’re reading it. Like these incredible young girls over the last few days,” Trump said.
“One of them, I just talked to the mother. They just had a funeral for this girl. She is 12 years old. This is a terrible thing that happened.”
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies on Tuesday
Franklin Pena Ramos, one of the two men accused of killing the young girl, leaves the courtroom after bail is set at $10 million
On May 28, Pena Ramos was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent after crossing El Paso, Texas, but he had cut it off by the time the couple was arrested for the murder of Jocelyn Nungaray.
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, was also released after being intercepted by border agents on March 14, just over three months before Jocelyn’s murder.
Ramos had told officers he planned to live with his cousin in Houston, but the tracker would only track his movements for 21 days, and he was sharing an apartment with Martinez when he was arrested.
Last week, both men were charged with first-degree murder. Detectives are still waiting for the results of tests that will confirm whether Jocelyn was not only murdered, but raped.
Galvan and Jocelyn’s mother talked about how incredulous Jocelyn would have been that Trump had called and how much attention the case would have received.
White doves fly after being released during Jocelyn’s funeral service on Thursday
Thursday was the funeral service and a celebration of Jocelyn’s life.
Her obituary included a line from a Billie Eilish song: ‘Things fall apart and time breaks your heart.’
“We understand all about things falling apart and broken hearts. Because on June 17th, our hearts were broken when our angel, Jocelyn Lisel Nungaray, was given her wings in heaven.”
‘Rest in peace, dear Jocelyn. Your light will continue to shine in our hearts, now with angel wings to guide us.’