Houston ICE Officer Indicted for Aggravated Assault in Car Strike

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was indicted Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after striking a man with his vehicle in Houston.

Prosecutors in Harris County charged Mario Alberto Morales, 33, for his actions on Oct. 10. The agency stated that Morales was driving an unmarked Jeep Cherokee during a pursuit through a parking lot. He hit and ran over Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, who was running away from the vehicle. Parra Hernandez suffered a broken leg and is currently held in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility.

District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment during a news conference. He presented body camera footage from Morales and a 911 audio recording. Teare stated that the video contradicts the agency's initial claim that the victim ran into the car. The surveillance footage shows the SUV speeding over a median toward the man. Morales is seen making sharp steering adjustments before the vehicle shakes. He exits the car and turns toward Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground holding his leg in pain.

In the audio recording, Morales says, "He got hit with a car, bro." He then adds, "I was coming in and I hit him with the car." Teare called the evidence as clear as any he has investigated in his career. Morales is facing a second-degree felony charge. He was not in custody as of Friday, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Morales' attorney, David Lindenmuth, argued that his client did not commit a crime. Lindenmuth accused Teare of pursuing the indictment for political gain. He described Morales as a former military member who had served in the agency for just over a year. Lindenmuth told the Associated Press that the DA's office invented a crime out of thin air from an accident.

The agency maintains that local officials lack the authority to investigate federal officers acting within their duties. A written statement from the agency called allegations of an intentional strike reckless and false. Teare noted that the Department of Homeland Security has not cooperated with investigators. He accused the department of destroying evidence and said Morales left the scene before the vehicle could be impounded.

The investigation has also raised questions about the target of the operation. The agency released a photo of Jose Mendoza-Cervantes and said he was the suspect. It claimed Mendoza-Cervantes was seen entering a vehicle with Parra Hernandez. Family members of Parra Hernandez said they had never heard of the name. FIEL, a local immigrant rights group, reported that Mendoza-Cervantes' daughter said her father died in 2017. Teare's office stated its investigation did not find the two men in a vehicle together.

This case is part of a wider scrutiny of federal actions during the current administration. Teare is also investigating a July incident where an officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in his van. The Department of Homeland Security said Araujo weaponized his vehicle before the officer fired. Other passengers in the van have disputed that account.