ICE Officer Charged After Ramming Vehicle Into Houston Man

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare filed charges Friday against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of driving his car into a 48-year-old construction worker in Houston. The indictment charges Mario Alberto Morales with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a rare criminal move against a federal agent during the current administration's immigration enforcement push.

Prosecutors say Morales was driving an unmarked black vehicle on October 10 when he struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, who was running from the vehicle. Parra Hernandez was taken into custody with a broken leg. Teare, a Democrat, stated that surveillance footage clearly contradicts the agency's initial narrative. The video shows a Jeep Cherokee crossing a median to chase Parra Hernandez. Although another vehicle blocks the direct view of the impact, the SUV is seen inches from the man before he is shown on the ground.

ICE initially told the public that Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the car. The agency called accusations of intentional ramming false and reckless. Teare’s office disputes this, pointing to the visual evidence of the SUV’s proximity to the victim just before he fell.

The case has raised questions about the specific target of the operation. ICE released a photo of Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, identifying him as the suspect and claiming he was seen entering a vehicle with Parra Hernandez. Family members of Parra Hernandez said they had never heard of that name. An immigrant rights group in Houston, FIEL, stated that Mendoza-Cervantes’ daughter told them her father had been dead since 2017. She also provided his real name, Jose Hector Jimenez.

Teare’s investigators have not found evidence that Parra Hernandez and the man ICE identified were in a vehicle together. This finding runs counter to the federal agency’s statement. ICE has not yet responded to the claim that the suspected target has been deceased for nearly a decade.

Parra Hernandez has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. FIEL says he was residing in the country without authorization. Teare criticized the Department of Homeland Security for its lack of cooperation during the investigation. He accused ICE of destroying evidence either intentionally or through gross negligence. Teare noted that the officer driving the SUV left the scene before the vehicle could be impounded.

The charge comes as Teare also investigates a July incident in which an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old homebuilder, in his van. DHS stated that Salgado Araujo weaponized his vehicle before an officer fired in self-defense. Other passengers in the van have disputed that account. Teare has not set a timeline for when his office will complete its investigation into that shooting. A witness to the July incident was seen entering a grand jury area in September.