A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who is accused of intentionally ramming his car into a Mexican construction worker in Houston turned himself in Monday, his attorney said.
Mario Alberto Morales made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for striking Miguel Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10, as Morales chased the 48-year-old construction worker through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales, 33, on Friday.
During Monday’s hearing, Judge Matthew Peneguy set bond at $30,000. Prosecutors had asked that bond be set at $75,000, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
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Morales is one of just a few federal officers who have faced criminal charges over their actions on the job during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Other encounters have come under investigation.
ICE has asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales’ vehicle, an account that prosecutors say is contradicted by video. Surveillance camera video shows Morales’ vehicle drive over a median and strike Parra Hernandez as he runs away.
David Lindenmuth, Morales’ attorney, has said his client was “truly a good man” and did not commit a crime.
Parra Hernandez broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare.
Morales had worked as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for a little more than a year, Lindenmuth said. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress this year and previously served in the Army.
Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs, according to Harris County Court records. Those charges were dismissed under a plea deal in which he paid a $270 fine.
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Wilder and Brook are corps members for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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