ICE Agent Bonds Out After Felony Indictment for Running Over Houston Worker
Mario Alberto Morales appeared in court Monday following a grand jury indictment for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
By Thiago Kovalenko ·
Harris County prosecutors charged a federal immigration officer with a felony after an October collision in a Houston parking lot. Mario Alberto Morales, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, turned himself in on Monday. He walked into the courthouse with his legal team in the morning. Court records show a judge set his bond at $30,000. Morales posted a non-arrest bond and was released.
The indictment cites the Oct. 10 incident involving Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker. Prosecutors say Morales struck Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV while chasing him through the parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales on Friday. They charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charge carries felony status in Texas.
David Lindenmuth, Morales’s attorney, told the Associated Press that his client planned to surrender on Monday. Lindenmuth described the collision as an accident. He stated that local officials invented a crime out of thin air. Michael Wynne, another representative for Morales, criticized the timing of the indictment. He noted that the grand jury received evidence on the final day of early voting. Wynne argued that officials presented only one side of the story to hit a specific news cycle.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare responded to the defense comments. He said cases must be litigated in a courtroom rather than at a podium. Teare stated that the district attorney’s office does not argue cases in the media. He emphasized that the trial will happen in front of a jury of the defendant’s peers. Teare added that prosecutors are prepared for the defense to seek a transfer to federal court.
Wynne said the defense team will push to move the case to a federal forum. He argued that the framers designed the legal system for such trials. Teare said the county is ready to combat that effort. He believes the case will eventually be tried in a Harris County courthouse. Kent Schaffer, a lawyer not connected to the case, explained the potential federal implications. If the defense argues Morales acted within the scope of his employment, a judge could grant immunity. If the judge finds his actions were not necessary to enforce federal law, the case will proceed to trial.
Video footage from ABC13 showed Morales entering the courtroom on Monday. Cameras were not permitted inside the room. Morales is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 2. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
