ICE officer accused of ramming Houston worker turns himself in
ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales turned himself in Monday after a grand jury indicted him on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, his attorney said. Morales is accused of striking Mexican construction worker Miguel Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV in Houston on Oct. 10. Judge Matthew Peneguy set bond at $30,000.
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of intentionally ramming his car into a construction worker in Houston turned himself in Monday, his attorney said. The officer, Mario Alberto Morales, 33, made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of striking Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican construction worker, with an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10 while chasing him through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales on Friday. The judge set bail at $30,000; prosecutors had asked for $75,000, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Morales is one of a few federal officers to face criminal charges over their actions on the job during Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Other encounters have come under investigation.
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PBS NewsHour reports that Morales turned himself in Monday, and KDH News carries the same report. The other results say he was expected to surrender, rather than confirming that he had done so.