ICE officer charged in Houston after striking man with car, prosecutors say

Charge follows Houston collision

Harris County prosecutors say Morales was driving an unmarked black vehicle on Oct. 10 when it hit Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican construction worker who was running away. Parra Hernandez was later taken into custody with a broken leg.

District Attorney Sean Teare’s office charged Morales with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Teare said prosecutors had contacted the officer’s attorney, but did not disclose the attorney’s identity or where Morales lives. Morales was not in custody Friday, and a warrant was to be issued.

Teare played body-camera footage at a Friday news conference. He said the video, along with surveillance footage, contradicts ICE’s description of the incident.

Accounts of the incident differ

Surveillance video shows a Jeep Cherokee going over a median and moving toward Parra Hernandez as he runs away, according to the account presented by Teare. Body-camera footage shows Morales driving and discussing a pursuit; the car appears to jolt as it runs over something.

Questions about ICE target

ICE identified Jose Mendoza-Cervantes as the target of its operation and said he had entered a vehicle with Parra Hernandez. Parra Hernandez’s family said they had not heard of Mendoza-Cervantes.

Houston immigrant rights group FIEL said Mendoza-Cervantes’ daughter told the group that her father had died in 2017 and that his real name was Jose Hector Jimenez. Teare’s office said its investigation had not found that Parra Hernandez and the man ICE named were together in a vehicle.

ICE had not responded to the claims about the man’s identity and reported death. Parra Hernandez has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and was in the country without authorization, according to FIEL.

Broader dispute over investigations

FIEL executive director Cesar Espinosa said the group hopes Morales’ indictment will support its request to have Parra Hernandez released from custody. Teare accused the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, of not cooperating with his investigators. He also alleged that ICE destroyed evidence, intentionally or through gross negligence, and said the officer left before the vehicle could be impounded.

Teare is also investigating the July fatal shooting of Mexican homebuilder Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52. DHS said Salgado Araujo had weaponized his vehicle and that an officer fired in self-defense; other passengers disputed that account. Teare has not provided a timeline for completing the investigation.