Houston grand jury charges ICE agent with aggravated assault
Mario Alberto Morales faces a second-degree felony charge for running over Miguel Parra-Hernandez on October 10.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced on Friday that a grand jury has indicted Mario Alberto Morales, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Morales is charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charge stems from an incident on October 10 where the agent allegedly struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez with his vehicle. The impact broke Parra-Hernandez's leg and ankle.
The incident occurred during an attempt to arrest a different man. An ICE spokesperson stated that Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the agent's car while fleeing an attempted traffic stop. Parra-Hernandez's attorney and immigrant rights groups have disputed this account. Surveillance video from the scene appears to show the agent driving toward Parra-Hernandez as the man ran away from the car and into a parking lot.
The indictment was returned 20 days after the collision. Teare noted that his office is moving faster on this case than on the investigation into the July shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by another ICE agent. Teare attributed the speed to body camera footage, which was not available for the Salgado Araujo incident. He stated that people were wearing body cameras in the Parra-Hernandez case, a factor that distinguished the two investigations.
At the press conference, Teare played a portion of the 911 call from the day of the incident. Morales can be heard on the recording saying Parra-Hernandez is fine and that he was trying to get around him. Teare emphasized that an ICE badge does not grant officers the right to injure or violate constitutional rights. He hopes the prosecution sends a clear message to all ICE officers operating in Houston.
Morales has not yet been taken into custody. Teare said his office is in contact with the agent's lawyer but it is unclear if Morales is still in the Houston area. Houston Public Media attempted to reach the agent directly but did not get a response.
ICE responded to the news in a statement, calling the indictment a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians. The agency asserted that federal officers acting in their duties can only be investigated by other federal agencies. Teare called this claim patently false. Indictments of federal law enforcement officers are rare and have previously led to legal disputes between states and federal authorities over extradition and immunity.
Teare said his office is getting ready to bring charges related to the Salgado Araujo shooting to a grand jury. He described the investigation as being at a tipping point. The two cases share similarities, but the availability of video evidence has allowed the district attorney's office to proceed with the Parra-Hernandez case.
