Haunting photos show final moments of 'kind' Texas girl, 12, found raped and strangled in creek after sneaking out of house at bed time

Distressing images show the final moments of a 12 year-old Texas girl who was found raped and strangled in a creek after sneaking out of her house after bed time.  

Jocelyn Nungaray is seen alongside a man, who has been branded a person of interest in the killing, while walking into a convenience store in Houston. 

Another picture shows the young girl in the parking lot of the store hours before she was found in shallow water below a bridge, after being strangled and raped. 

Police said earlier this week that she had called her 13-year-old boyfriend from the store at around midnight, where he heard her talking to two adults.

Nungaray had lived with her family at an apartment complex not far from where her body was found, with police believing she snuck out on Sunday evening. 

Her body was then found by passerby Billie Jackson shortly after 6am on Monday morning in a shallow creek. 

Speaking to ABC13, Jackson said: 'I drove past, and when I looked up the creek, I thought it was a mannequin. 

'I did a U-turn, and I stopped on the bridge, put my flashers on, looked down, and realized it was someone. I parked right here and called 911 immediately.'

Her grieving mother, Alexis Nungaray, is now struggling to process what had happened.

'It's like it's not real,' she told Click2Houston. 'I keep hearing everything, and everybody tell me everything, and I hear it and it's not registering.'

She recalled telling her daughter on Sunday not to stay up too late, as she was joining her at work the next day. Those would be the last words she ever spoke to her daughter.

By 3am on Monday, Alexis said she noticed Jocelyn's cat was 'going crazy,' but assumed the cat was with her daughter, who always slept with her pet at night.

It wasn't until she woke up at 6am and started her normal routine to wake up her five-year-old son and Jocelyn that she noticed her daughter was missing. 

Nungaray began searching frantically around the house and apartment complex for her daughter before pinging her cellphone which traced it back to the creek.  

Her mom is now seeking justice for her young daughter, and added that she does not believe she knows the two men seen with Jocelyn at the convenience store.  

She said she suspects they either live in the apartment complex or may have walked to the store from a nearby state park.

'I want karma to hit them, I'm angry,' Alexis told Click2Houston. 'They took advantage of her. She's so young, she's 12.

'I want justice,' she continued. 'I want whoever has seen them to please call police. They took my baby away.'

Alexis also said that she does not know why Jocelyn snuck out of the house, though she noted that she has struggled in recent months with her mental health.

'I don't know why, what possessed her to walk around late at night in this area out of all places,' Alexis said. 

'I always told her to never leave the house, never leave unattended, always be safe. 

'There's people around here that are crazy. I don't think she ever thought it would face her.' 

She and other family members have described the preteen as a loving and caring child.

Her uncle Joamel said: 'Jocy was a smart, loving, nurturing young lady, She brightened up the room every time she came by and was loved by everyone around.'

Alexis also described her as the 'greatest friend' who was 'very goofy. 'She had aspirations for life,' Alexis said. 'She loved everyone, was so kind.' 

A GoFundMe has now been set up to pay for Jocelyn's funeral which as of Thursday morning had raised over $19,000 dollars.

'Her family was not prepared for such a loss, and [need] help to give her daughter the memorial she deserves, to honor her memory and to say our last goodbyes,' it says.