HOUSTON (AP) — A 12-year-old Texas girl who was found dead in a creek not far from her home was remembered on Thursday for her love of reading and animals. Among those attending funeral services for Jocelyn Nungaray were Democratic Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Cecilia Abbott, wife of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“We’re sad but we’re outraged and angry that this would happen in our community,” Whitmire, who was elected in December told mourners. “We’re going to monitor this case all the way through the criminal justice system.” Jocelyn’s body was found in a creek on June 17.
A medical examiner concluded that she had been strangled. Police say she had sneaked out of her house the night before. Prosecutors have charged two Venezuelan men who had entered the U.
S. illegally with capital murder , and Republicans have used the death to highlight what they say are President Joe Biden’s failed immigration policies . Jocelyn’s grandfather, Kelvin Alvarenga, said earlier this week that his granddaughter’s death could have been prevented if the country’s immigration system had been “redone.
” Also attending the service for Jocelyn was Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Both Greg Abbott and Patrick are harsh critics of Biden’s policies. Many studies have found immigrants are less drawn to violent crime than native-born citizens. One published by the National Academy of Sciences, based on Texas Department of Public Safety data from 2012 to 2018, reported na.
