ICE agent turns himself in after hitting immigrant with his SUV in Houston

Automatically translated from Spanish. Read the original in Spanish

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent turned himself in to authorities on Monday, according to his attorney. Mario Alberto Morales made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The case occurred after he hit Miguel Parra Hernández with an unmarked sport utility vehicle on October 10. The incident happened while Morales was chasing the 48-year-old construction worker through a parking lot. A grand jury had indicted Morales, 33, the previous Friday.

During Monday’s hearing, Judge Matthew Peneguy set bail at $30,000. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office had requested that bail be set at $75,000.

The agency indicated that Parra Hernández ran in front of Morales’ vehicle, a version that prosecutors say contradicts security camera footage. The video shows the agent’s car driving over a flower bed and hitting the victim while fleeing.

David Lindenmuth, the defense attorney, stated that his client did not commit any crime. Parra Hernández suffered a broken leg and is recovering in a rehabilitation center under federal custody, according to prosecutor Sean Teare.

Morales had been working as an enforcement and removal operations officer for the agency for just over a year. His legal representative noted that his client ran unsuccessfully for Congress this year and previously served in the Army.