Southwest
Houston area, an immigration hot spot, reeling from murder of Jocelyn Nungaray
A Houston area still reeling over the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray has become a hot spot for both legal and illegal immigrants.
Almost a quarter of the nine-county Houston metro area is comprised of immigrants, many of whom have yet to gain legal status in the United States, according to a report by the Migration Policy Institute.
The report, which was released in November, highlights how the Houston region has experienced “significant immigration-related transformations” in recent years, which it notes is in part a result of the “spillover effects of the record high number of asylum seekers and other migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021.”
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT ACCUSED OF KILLING JOCELYN NUNGARAY WORE ICE ANKLE MONITOR
“The metro area has welcomed large numbers of humanitarian migrants and Harris County is the top U.S. destination for unaccompanied children released to sponsors,” the report reads.
Despite its location away from the southern border, the percentage of immigrants comprising the Houston population far outstrips the total Texas share, which sits at 17%. The national share of the immigrant population, meanwhile, sits at 13.6%.
The report estimates that roughly two-thirds of the Houston area’s nearly 1.7 million immigrant population has some form of legal status, while hundreds of thousands face barriers to naturalization in the United States.
Data revealed that Mexico remained the top origin country for immigrants in the Houston area, comprising about 37% of the foreign-born population. But other nationalities comprise a growing share, with immigrants from Vietnam, India, Nigeria, Venezuela, China and Colombia more recently joining the top 10.
Almost a quarter of the nine-county Houston metro area is comprised of immigrants. (Reuters/Richard Carson)
JOCELYN NUNGARAY MURDER SUSPECT HAS BAIL SET AT $10 MILLION
The population of illegal immigrants in the area entered the spotlight last week when two illegal immigrants from Venezuela were charged in the murder of Nungaray.
Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, made his first appearance in court Monday in the case, while 22-year-old co-defendant Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel is scheduled to make his first appearance Tuesday.
The men, who entered the country illegally before making their way to the Houston area, are accused of luring the 12-year-old Nungaray under a secluded bridge, where she was tied up and later killed.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who is prosecuting the case, told Fox News Tuesday that it is also “likely” that a “sexual assault happened” in addition to the murder.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found strangled to death in a Houston creek. (Fox Houston courtesy of the Nungaray family)
“The evidence is clear that a sexual assault likely happened. But since neither defendant has actually admitted that, circumstantial evidence will have to prove it,” Ogg said. “We are waiting on lab tests now to see if the capital murder charge can be upgraded to one where they are death penalty eligible.”
Meanwhile, new details emerged out of Monday’s court proceedings, including revelations that Ramos was wearing a Customs and Border Protection ankle monitor at the time of the crime. Martinez-Rangel had worn a similar monitor, though he was able to remove his after complying with immigration check-ins.
Meanwhile, Ogg described the Houston area as a “huge international hub.”
“Unfortunately, we see a great deal of violence committed by illegal immigrants and we see as many victimized by other illegals and regular people here. It’s an enormous problem. This was bound to happen,” she told Fox News. “It’s one of those things that, as an elected prosecutor, you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m just sick and sickened this little girl was the innocent victim of these two monsters.”
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A man was shot and killed during a child custody exchange in Covina.
On June 9, Covina police were called to a parking lot outside Home Depot at 963 W. Badillo St. just after 6 p.m.
Several people had gathered at the location to facilitate a child custody exchange. During the meeting, as an argument erupted between two men, things escalated.
One of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other man, police said. Officers were called to the scene and, despite lifesaving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead.
The suspect was taken into custody shortly after. Footage from the scene showed the parking lot was cordoned off as officers investigated the area and spoke to the other adults involved in the child custody exchange.
No further details, including the suspect’s or victims’ identities, were released.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5622.
Los Angeles High School was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning as police searched for three juveniles, including one believed to be armed with a handgun.
Officers responded to the area of Olympic and West boulevards around 8:15 a.m. following a report of an assault with a deadly weapon involving four minors.
One of the minors involved in the assault was believed to be armed with a handgun, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Miller confirmed to KTLA.
Los Angeles High School was placed on lockdown as police responded to the incident.
One suspect was taken into custody, but Miller said police are still searching for the three remaining juveniles and the handgun.
A perimeter has been set up around the school as officers search for the remaining suspects.
“Today, the school initiated a lockdown as we received reports of a possible weapon on campus,” a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson said. “We took immediate action, including notifying the Los Angeles School Police Department and Region West Operations for further investigation. The Los Angeles School Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department are conducting a search of the campus for weapons. We will provide additional information once it is available.”
No information was provided about the assault victim or any injuries sustained in the incident.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
An Orange County rideshare customer captured cellphone footage of his Uber driver seemingly asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla traveling along the 405 Freeway earlier this year.
The incident, according to the customer who reached out to KTLA, occurred March 24 while he was on a ride to Costa Mesa just before 7:30 p.m.
In the footage, the driver, wearing a coat and tie, is seen with his head resting against the headrest while remaining completely still, even as the customer moves closer with the camera.
Toward the end of the video, one of the driver’s hands appears to rest near his waist rather than on the steering wheel.
The customer told KTLA he filed a complaint with Uber but was informed he would not be able to find out whether any action was taken regarding the incident. He also said he contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which reportedly declined to accept the video evidence and told him deputies would have needed to witness the driver asleep themselves.
Videos of Tesla drivers appearing to be asleep have become increasingly common.
More recently, footage of an apparently napping Tesla driver on the 5 Freeway was captured by witnesses in southbound lanes near Camp Pendleton.
As far back as February 2023, video obtained by KTLA showed two separate drivers appearing to be asleep behind the wheel in the span of a week, one in Los Angeles and the other in Temecula.
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A rideshare customer captured cellphone footage of his Uber driver apparently sleeping while behind the wheel of a Tesla on the 405 Freeway in Orange County on March 24, 2026. (viewer image) -
A rideshare customer captured cellphone footage of his Uber driver apparently sleeping while behind the wheel of a Tesla on the 405 Freeway in Orange County on March 24, 2026. (viewer image)
KTLA’s San Francisco sister station, KRON, also obtained footage of an East Bay driver apparently asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla Model 3 on Highway 4 in March.
According to Tesla’s guidelines, drivers using the vehicle’s Full Self-Driving mode are required to remain attentive and ready to take control of the car at any moment.
In past incidents, the California Highway Patrol has told KTLA that drivers must be awake, conscious and sober to legally operate a moving vehicle.
The electric vehicle maker has been at the center of numerous controversies but remains the top-selling brand in California for the fourth year in a row. Tesla’s Model Y far outsold any other new vehicle in the state in 2025.
KTLA has reached out to Uber about the March 24 incident and is awaiting a response.
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