Prosecutors say surveillance video contradicts ICE’s account of the encounter
Mario Alberto Morales, 33, turned himself in Monday, his attorney David Lindenmuth said, and made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A grand jury had indicted Morales on Friday.
The felony charge alleges that on Oct. 10, Morales chased Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican construction worker, through a parking lot in Houston and struck him with an unmarked SUV. Morales is accused of intentionally ramming his car into Parra Hernandez.
During Monday’s hearing, Judge Matthew Peneguy set bond at $30,000. Prosecutors had asked for $75,000, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Associated Press, Morales is one of just a few federal officers who have faced criminal charges over their actions on the job during immigration-enforcement operations under the Trump administration. Other encounters have come under investigation, the report said.
ICE has asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales’ vehicle. Prosecutors say that account is contradicted by surveillance camera video. The footage shows Morales’ vehicle drive over a median and strike Parra Hernandez as he runs away.
Parra Hernandez broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said.
Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs, according to Harris County Court records. Those charges were dismissed under a plea deal in which he paid a $270 fine.
Lindenmuth said Morales had worked as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for a little more than a year. Morales unsuccessfully ran for Congress this year and previously served in the Army.
David Lindenmuth said his client was “truly a good man” and did not commit a crime.