ICE Officer Charged with Aggravated Assault After Hitting Worker in Houston

Mario Alberto Morales, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, was charged on Friday with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a collision in Houston.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare's office announced the indictment against Morales, who was driving an unmarked black vehicle on October 10. The car struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican construction worker, as he ran from the vehicle. Parra Hernandez was taken into custody with a broken leg.

Prosecutors rely on surveillance footage that shows a Jeep Cherokee crossing a median to pursue Parra Hernandez. The video captures the SUV stopping inches from the worker but does not show the moment of impact due to another vehicle blocking the view. The recording then shows Parra Hernandez on the ground.

Teare, a Democrat, stated that the footage clearly contradicts the account provided by ICE. The agency previously claimed Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the car and labeled accusations of intentional force as reckless. Morales fled the scene before the vehicle could be impounded, according to the district attorney's office.

ICE has not responded to requests for comment regarding the indictment. The agency also has not addressed claims that its primary target for the operation, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, had been dead since 2017. Family members of Parra Hernandez said they had never heard of the identified suspect.

FIEL, an immigrant rights group in Houston, noted that Mendoza-Cervantes' daughter stated her father's real name was Jose Hector Jimenez. Teare's investigation found no evidence that Parra Hernandez and the identified suspect were in a vehicle together, contrary to the statement released by ICE.

Parra Hernandez has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and was residing without authorization, according to FIEL. Teare accused the Department of Homeland Security of failing to cooperate with his investigators. The district attorney alleged that ICE destroyed evidence either intentionally or through gross negligence.

Teare is also investigating the July fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old homebuilder. DHS stated that Araujo weaponized his vehicle before an officer fired in self-defense. Other passengers in the van have disputed that explanation. A witness to the shooting entered a grand jury area in September, and Teare has not provided a timeline for completing that investigation.