Mario Alberto Morales, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, turned himself in Monday and appeared before a judge in Houston, according to ABC13. He faces a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A grand jury returned the indictment on Friday.
Prosecutors allege Morales struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, with an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10 as he chased Parra Hernandez through a parking lot. Prosecutors said the hit was intentional and that Morales crossed a median and turned the wheel toward Hernandez. Morales's attorney, David Lindenmuth, told the Associated Press that the incident was "clearly just an accident."
Another Morales representative, Michael Wynne, questioned the timing of the case and said the grand jury heard only one side. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said cases should be argued in court, not in the media. Wynne said the defense will seek to move the case to the federal level. A possible update may come Dec. 2.