Judge sets $30,000 bond for ICE officer indicted on assault charge
Mario Alberto Morales surrendered in Houston following a grand jury indictment related to a collision with a construction worker.
By Lily Carter ·
A federal immigration officer who is accused of striking a man with his vehicle in Houston appeared in court on Monday to face a felony assault charge. Mario Alberto Morales, 33, turned himself in after a grand jury indicted him on Friday. The incident occurred on Oct. 10, when Morales was pursuing Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, through a parking lot. Parra Hernandez is a Mexican construction worker who was running from the unmarked SUV at the time of the collision.
During the hearing on Monday, Judge Matthew Peneguy set a bond of $30,000 for Morales. The Harris County District Attorney's Office had requested that the court set the amount at $75,000. The indictment lists aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as the specific felony charge against the officer.
Prosecutors say that surveillance camera footage contradicts the account provided by the agency. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales' vehicle. Video from the scene shows the SUV drive over a median and strike the worker while he was running away.
Morales' attorney, David Lindenmuth, described his client as a truly good man who did not commit a crime. Lindenmuth noted that Morales had worked as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for just over a year before the incident. The officer also served in the Army and ran unsuccessfully for Congress earlier this year.
Parra Hernandez suffered a broken leg in the collision. He is currently recovering in a rehabilitation facility while remaining in federal custody, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. Morales is one of a small number of federal officers to face criminal charges related to their actions during the current administration's immigration enforcement efforts.
Court records from Harris County indicate that Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs. Those charges were dismissed under a plea deal that required him to pay a $270 fine. Other encounters involving federal officers have also come under investigation during this period.
Source: MySA
