Will County Gazette

Illinois State Senate District 43 candidate Jen Monson has called for an end to sanctuary cities and commented on the case of two men accused of killing a Houston girl, stating, "these men deserve the highest penalty!" She made this statement in a June 22 Facebook post.

"Are we done hearing horrific stories like this yet," said jennifer Monson for IL Senate, according to Facebook. "These criminals deserve the highest penalty. Close the border! We must put an end to sanctuary states and cities, especially in llinois."

In her post, Monson shared a link to a Fox News story about Johan Jose Rangel Martinez and Jose Pena Ramos, who are accused of murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. According to the article, the two Venezuelan migrants crossed into El Paso, Texas earlier this year. The report detailed that the men left a restaurant and walked southbound before meeting with Nungaray. After speaking for a few minutes, they went to a 7-11 store and then proceeded to the bridge where Nungaray was murdered.

Screenshot of Jen Monson's June 22 Facebook post | JenMonson4ILSenate43 Facebook page

A June 21 article from the Associated Press reported that prosecutors in Houston filed capital murder charges against Martinez and Ramos. The article stated that court documents revealed the men lured Nungaray under the bridge and remained there for more than two hours before undressing her, tying her up, and strangling her. Nungaray's body was found in a shallow creek the morning after she had snuck out of her house.

Martinez was first arrested on March 14 near El Paso and released with an order to appear at a later date. Pena was arrested on March 28 under similar conditions.

A news release from the Houston Police Department (HPD) indicated that patrol officers responded to a call about a person down and discovered Nungaray’s body in a shallow creek. Following further investigation, members of the HPD Northbelt Patrol Division Crime Suppression Team, SWAT team, and Gang and Homicide Divisions located Martinez-Rangel and Pena at an apartment complex on Northborough Drive and arrested them without incident.

Jen Monson is the Republican nominee for Illinois State Senate District 43. She ran unopposed in the primary election. According to her campaign website, she is an educator and school board member who aims to "work to maintain citizen rights and their ability to exercise their God-given rights to exist and live freely without unconstitutional government overreach."