Texas grand jury indicts ICE agent over Houston collision

A Harris County grand jury indicted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Mario Alberto Morales on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over a collision that injured Miguel Parra Hernandez in Houston on October 10. District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment on October 30. The charge is an allegation, and the case does not establish Morales’ guilt. Prosecutors allege Morales intentionally struck Hernandez with an ICE vehicle during an operation. Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, was running away when he was hit, according to the district attorney’s office. He suffered a broken leg and remained in medical care, with reports describing him as hospitalized or at a rehabilitation center. ICE has disputed the allegation of intent. The agency said Hernandez ran in front of its vehicle and denied that Morales deliberately hit him. It also challenged local authorities’ ability to investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties. The competing accounts have not been resolved in court. Teare said surveillance footage from nearby businesses appeared to show an ICE vehicle turning toward Hernandez as he ran away, and that the...