Houston ICE Officer Indicted After SUV Struck Man
Prosecutors released bodycam footage showing the agent turn his vehicle toward the victim during a pursuit on October 10.
By Sakura Novak ·
A federal immigration officer has been indicted in connection with a vehicle collision that seriously injured a Houston man last month.
Mario Alberto Morales was charged Friday with a second-degree felony for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charge stems from an incident on Oct. 10 in which Morales allegedly struck 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez with an SUV in northwest Houston.
The collision occurred during an immigration pursuit. Parra Hernandez, who has lived in Harris County for about 30 years, had no prior criminal record or immigration proceedings at the time of the accident. He was hospitalized following the crash and remains in the hospital.
During a news conference, District Attorney Sean Teare played Morales' body-camera footage alongside local surveillance video. The recording shows Morales turning his SUV toward Parra Hernandez as the man ran away. The vehicle then knocks Parra Hernandez to the ground and drives over his legs. Parra Hernandez is heard screaming in pain immediately after the impact.
Teare noted that Morales called 911 after the crash and stated that Parra Hernandez had hit his car. In the 911 audio released by prosecutors, Morales describes the pursuit to a dispatcher. He says he was trying to pull a man over when the man jumped out of a vehicle. Morales claims he tried to get around him and that the man hit his car. When the dispatcher asked about serious bleeding, Morales said no, although Parra Hernandez's screams are audible in the background.
The body-camera video also captures Morales getting out of the SUV to check on the injured man. Parra Hernandez is on the ground clutching his leg. Morales asks where the other man is. Parra Hernandez replies, "You ran over me." He later cries, "My foot." Morales tells another officer, "He got hit with a car, bro," and adds, "I was coming in and I hit him with the car."
A discrepancy emerged regarding the identity of the person ICE was pursuing. The agency initially identified Jose Mendoza-Cervantes as the target. ICE stated that Mendoza-Cervantes had previous arrests and deportations and that Parra Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle. However, Teare said Mendoza-Cervantes has been dead for nine years. A previous report by FIEL Houston identified the man as Jose Hector Jimenez, who died in 2017. The DA's office found no evidence that Parra Hernandez and the identified target were in the same vehicle.
Teare said the case is about the actions of an individual. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, whose office investigated the collision, said the case should be viewed separately from the debate over federal immigration enforcement. Gonzalez stated that no badge or title places anyone beyond accountability.
Morales could face two to 20 years in prison if convicted. His attorney has called the indictment a political prosecution. ICE has previously described the allegation that Morales intentionally struck Parra Hernandez as reckless and false. ICE has not responded to requests for comment about the identity discrepancy.
The indictment marks a formal legal step against a federal agent in this case. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of two to 20 years.
