A Harris County grand jury indicted Mario Alberto Morales, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. District Attorney Sean Teare and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced the indictment Friday. Prosecutors say Morales struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez with his vehicle on Oct. 10, breaking his leg and ankle.
An ICE spokesperson said Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle while the agent was trying to arrest another man, and that he was fleeing after an attempted traffic stop. Immigrant rights groups and Parra-Hernandez's attorney have disputed that account. Surveillance video appeared to show the agent driving toward Parra-Hernandez as he ran away from the car. Morales has not been taken into custody, and Teare said it was unclear whether he remains in the Houston area.
In a statement, ICE called the indictment a "political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians" and said federal officers can only be investigated by other federal agencies. Teare called that claim "patently false." Morales could not be reached for comment. The indictment came 20 days after the incident. Teare's office is also investigating a July shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent.