A Harris County grand jury has indicted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Mario Alberto Morales over an Oct. 10 vehicle collision that injured Miguel Parra Hernandez in west Houston, putting a disputed encounter before the courts.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment on Oct. 30. At a news conference, prosecutors showed surveillance and body-camera footage and played a 911 call. In the body-camera video, Morales says, “I hit him with the car.”
Prosecutors allege Morales intentionally struck Parra Hernandez. ICE says Parra Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle and denies that Morales hit him intentionally. The agency also disputes local officials’ authority to investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said his office could investigate.
Morales’ attorney, David Lindenmuth, told the Associated Press that his client committed no crime and considered the collision accidental.
As of Oct. 30, Morales had not been taken into custody, and Teare said his office was in contact with the agent’s lawyer. The Associated Press reported that Parra Hernandez remained in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility. The district attorney’s announcement did not identify a next court date.
