ICE Officer Turns Himself In After Houston SUV Assault Indictment
Morales, 33, faced a felony allegation accusing him of using a deadly weapon to commit aggravated assault. The charge stems from an October 10 incident in which he allegedly struck Parra Hernandez, 48, with an unmarked SUV while pursuing him through a Houston parking lot. A grand jury returned the indictment on October 30. The judge set Morales’ bond at $30,000; prosecutors had requested $75,000.
Prosecutors say surveillance video challenges ICE’s account of how Parra Hernandez came into the SUV’s path. The footage shows the SUV crossing a median and striking him as he fled. He suffered a broken leg and is receiving rehabilitation care while held in federal custody.
Morales’ attorneys say the collision was accidental and deny that he committed a crime. One attorney has also criticized the timing of the indictment, which came on the final day of early voting. District Attorney Sean Teare has rejected the suggestion that the prosecution was politically motivated, saying the case should be argued in court.
According to his attorney, Morales spent just over a year working as an officer with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division. His legal team has said it plans to seek a federal forum for the case; a possible update was expected on December 2.
ICE Officer Faces Assault Charge After SUV Strikes Houston Worker
A federal immigration officer is facing a felony assault charge after prosecutors say he drove an unmarked SUV into a man fleeing through a Houston parking lot. Mario Alberto Morales turned himself in on November 2, following an indictment returned two days earlier.
Prosecutors say surveillance footage disputes ICE’s account of how construction worker Miguel Parra Hernandez came to be in the SUV’s path. The video shows Morales’ SUV crossing a median and hitting the 48-year-old as he ran away. He suffered a broken leg and is undergoing rehabilitation while held in federal custody.
The case puts a rare criminal charge against a federal officer involved in immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s crackdown. Morales’ attorneys insist the collision was an accident, and one has accused local officials of inventing a crime. That defense cannot erase the video evidence prosecutors say supports the charge.
A judge set Morales’ bond at $30,000, below the $75,000 prosecutors requested. Morales’ lawyers have criticized the indictment’s timing, which came on the last day of early voting. District Attorney Sean Teare has denied politicizing the case and says it belongs in court. Morales’ legal team says it will seek to move proceedings to federal court; a possible update was expected on December 2.
ICE Officer Denies Intent as Texas Assault Case Moves Forward
Mario Alberto Morales, an ICE officer and Army veteran, turned himself in on November 2 to face a felony aggravated-assault charge arising from an October 10 collision in Houston. A grand jury indicted him on October 30, and a judge set bond at $30,000.
Morales’ attorneys say he did not intentionally strike construction worker Miguel Parra Hernandez and describe the incident as an accident. They have challenged the prosecution’s timing: the indictment came on the final day of early voting. One representative argued that grand jurors heard only one side of the case.
Prosecutors say surveillance video undermines ICE’s position on how Parra Hernandez came to be in the SUV’s path. They say the vehicle crossed a median and hit him as he fled. He suffered a broken leg and is receiving treatment at a rehabilitation center while under federal detention. The competing accounts now face a test in court, rather than at a news conference, as District Attorney Sean Teare has said.
The case concerns an officer who had worked in ICE enforcement for a little more than a year. His attorneys say they intend to push for the case to be heard in federal court, with a possible update expected on December 2. The charge is an allegation; Morales’ attorneys deny that he committed a crime.
Reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, ABC13 Houston, PBS NewsHour, CBS News, Daily Mail US.
