Human Interest Real People Real People Tragedy Woman Who Found Missing 12-Year-Old Girl’s Body in Creek Recalls the Discovery: ‘How Could Somebody Do This?’ "Being from a small town and then nothing like this ever happens," Billie Jean Jackson said of the incident By Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism. Before joining the team, she worked as an Editor at FanSided and provided work in the celebrity and lifestyle space for brands that include Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, EW, and more. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 19, 2024 03:56PM EDT Jocelyn Nungaray. Photo: GoFundMe The woman who found the body of a missing 12-year-old girl in a Houston creek is speaking out about the harrowing experience. "Horrifying, it was scary," Billie Jean Jackson told KRIV of the discovery made in the early hours of Monday, June 17. "Being from a small town and then nothing like this ever happens. Finding that, it scared me as a mother and grandmother." Jackson said she was on her daily morning commute and "slowed down when I thought it was a mannequin and did a U-turn and came back." After turning back around, she says she realized she was looking at a dead body and "instantly called 911." Stock image of a creek in Houston. Getty Police Think 12-Year-Old Girl Snuck Out of Texas Home Before She Was Found Dead in Creek "How could somebody do this?" said Jackson. "How could somebody leave someone lying there? It’s not something you expect to see anywhere." According to a press release, the Houston Police Department recovered the body from the "shallow water" of the creek, and investigators believe there is foul play involved in this incident. Online records reviewed by PEOPLE show that the body was identified as that of Jocelyn Nungaray by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. "We really want justice for her. We are asking for everyone's help," her grandmother told KTRK-TV, describing Jocelyn as "an incredibly kind and loving girl." 21-Year-Old Arrested and Charged with Killing 15-Year-Old Girlfriend Just Before Her Middle School Graduation Houston Police Lt. Stephen Hope said in a press conference on Monday that investigators believe her death occurred after she snuck out of her home at a nearby apartment complex sometime after 10 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 16. According to KRIV, Jocelyn was talking to her 13-year-old boyfriend on the phone while at a convenience store when her boyfriend overheard her talking to two men. The city of Houston's official website identified two persons of interest who are described "only as two males of unknown age, wearing baseball-style caps." Jocelyn Nungaray. GoFundMe Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "Her family was not prepared for such a loss and needed help to give her daughter the memorial she deserves, to honor her memory and to say our last goodbyes," Victoria Galvan said in a GoFundMe set up for Jocelyn's loved ones. As of the time of writing, the campaign has received over 170 donations totaling more than $10,000.