Indicted ICE officer accused of intentionally striking man expected to surrender on Monday
The officer was indicted by a grand jury in Houston.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of intentionally striking a man in Houston earlier this month is expected to surrender on Monday morning, his attorney, David Lindenmuth told ABC News.
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attorney → indict → News
Mario Alberto Morales was indicted by a grand jury in Houston on a charge of second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
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Morales → indict → Office
Lindenmuth said Morales did not intend to strike Miguel Parra Hernandez when he was pursuing him and another person who were attempting to flee on foot on Oct. 10.
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who → say → Oct.
It was nothing more than accident, but the DA to score political points right before elections decided to bring charges,” Lindenmuth said.
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Lindenmuth → score → charges
At a press briefing on Friday, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare alleged that Morales' body-camera footage shows the officer "aggressively steered his vehicle" into Parra Hernandez.
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officer → allege → Hernandez
The district attorney played graphic video from the officer's body-worn camera alongside surveillance footage of the incident during a press briefing.
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attorney → play → briefing
The body-camera footage appears to show Morales behind the wheel, pursuing Parra Hernandez and another individual who are fleeing on foot.
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who → appear → foot
"Got a runner, got a runner," the officer can be heard saying.
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officer → get → runner
Seconds later, the body camera footage shows the officer appearing to turn his steering wheel toward the left.
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officer → show → left
Authorities say that’s when the vehicle struck Parra Hernandez and then came to a stop.
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vehicle → say → stop
Morales is then seen approaching Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground crying in agony, and moving his leg.
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who → see → leg
When asked about the video, Lindenmuth said Morales had two detainees in the back seat and was trying to avoid striking a vehicle and did not intend to hit him.
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Morales → ask → him
“Clearly there is contact but the contact wasn’t intentional.
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contact → be → ?
It wasn’t knowingly,” Lindenmuth said.
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Lindenmuth → say → ?
“It was in reaction to him trying not to strike a vehicle.”
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him → try → vehicle
Lindenmuth said Morales served in the army, was a paratrooper, and is a Christian pastor who does missionary work overseas.
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who → say → work
He said he believes the charges against his client are politically motivated.
“This is a good man, so why are you attacking his character and his background?
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you → say → character
You know why?
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You → know → ?
When you don’t have evidence, you have to vilify somebody,” he said.
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he → have → somebody
“So he has to make him the boogeyman, a monster, because he knows he cannot prove intent because there was none.”
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he → have → intent
Speaking at the press briefing, the DA told reporters: "I've reviewed hundreds of cases, some very similar to this.
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I → speak → this
The evidence that we have in this case is as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated."
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I → have → that
Attorney Kim Bruno, who's representing Parra Hernandez, her client suffered fractures and nerve damage and underwent surgery following the incident.
“All he wants is accountability,” Bruno said.
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Bruno → represent → incident
“He wants assurance that this will not happen to anybody else.
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this → want → anybody
He is so sympathetic, and all he cares about are the other people.
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he → care → ?
But he is the one in the bed suffering.”
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he → suffer → bed
Parra Hernandez is currently detained and remains in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility.
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Hernandez → detain → facility
According to Lindenmuth, Morales is a former corrections officer who enlisted in the Army.
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who → accord → Army
Morales also worked as a detention and processing officer at the Port Isabel Detention Center and worked with DHS as an ICE contractor, Lindenmuth said.
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Lindenmuth → work → contractor
He joined ICE as a federal immigration officer in August 2025, Lindenmuth said.
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Lindenmuth → join → August
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