Case status
Charges
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Texas Penal Code 22.02 (second-degree felony). Prosecutors say the deadly weapon was a motor vehicle.
Bond
Not yet public
Case number
Not yet public
Next court date
Not yet public
Status
Indicted. Arrest warrant issued. No conviction. ICE has placed him on administrative leave.

Houston, Texas · Indicted Oct. 30, 2026 · Harris County District Court

Harris County DA's Office on YouTube, Oct. 30 news conference with DA Sean Teare and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez

What the record confirms

A Harris County grand jury returned an indictment on Oct. 30, 2026, charging ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Harris County District Attorney's Office announced. Prosecutors say the deadly weapon was the vehicle he was driving.

The charge stems from the morning of Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, on Clay Road near Highway 6 in west Harris County, where Miguel Parra Hernandez was struck by an ICE vehicle while on foot during an immigration enforcement pursuit, according to the DA's office and the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says Miguel Parra Hernandez suffered multiple fractures to his right leg. District Attorney Sean Teare said Parra Hernandez is recovering in a rehabilitation facility while in ICE custody.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony in Texas, punishable by two to 20 years in prison. That is the range set by state law, not a prediction of any sentence.

Morales is accused, not convicted. An indictment is a formal charge, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The DA's office released video and audio with its announcement: a synced view of a nearby business's surveillance camera and the officer's body-worn camera, and a redacted recording of a 911 call. It also posted video of the news conference.

What officials say

At a news conference on Oct. 30, Teare said the investigation by the sheriff's office found that Morales drove into Parra Hernandez during the pursuit. "An ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone," Teare said. He also said, "The evidence that we have in this case is as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated."

Sheriff Gonzalez said two people who had already been detained, handcuffed and shackled, were inside the ICE vehicle at the time.

In the 911 call released by the DA's office, Morales can be heard saying, "I tried to get around him, and he hit my car."

Teare said Parra Hernandez has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and has no criminal record. ICE has said agents were looking for a different man, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes. Teare said that man apparently died about nine years ago, but that his office had not independently confirmed it.

Prosecutors said Morales was hired by ICE in August 2025 and that the DA's office has not received his training records.

ICE called the case "nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians." In its statement, the agency said federal officers acting in the course of their duties "can only be investigated by other Federal agencies" and called allegations that the officer struck Parra Hernandez intentionally "reckless and false." ICE had earlier said Parra Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.

Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a statement that the DA is pursuing "what looks like a political prosecution" of an ICE agent. Reitz said his office was "not consulted or even notified," and said, "I see no basis for federal charges at this time."

Highlighted excerpt

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, Oct. 30, 2026 news conference: "An ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone."

What the defense says

Morales's attorney, David Lindenmuth, has said the crash was an accident and that Morales was trying to avoid another vehicle. He called the case a political prosecution.

Lindenmuth said Morales will turn himself in on the warrant on Monday, Nov. 2. "We will be surrendering him on the warrant on Monday," he told FOX 26.

What isn't public yet

The case number, the court assignment and the full indictment have not been posted publicly online. The DA's office says the indictment can be obtained through the Harris County District Clerk.

Bond, a first court date and any plea have not been made public. Those are expected after Morales surrenders.

Whether the defense will try to move the case to federal court, and how a court would rule on the question of a state prosecution of a federal officer, has not been decided.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not said whether a federal review of the crash is underway.

Video

Split-screen still from video released by the Harris County District Attorney's Office: a business surveillance camera view of a parking lot and pickup truck beside a view from the officer's body-worn camera inside his vehicle, before the crash.

Harris County DA's Office, public media assets: synced surveillance and body-worn camera video (about 1 minute 19 seconds) and redacted 911 call (about 6 minutes). Contains images some viewers may find disturbing. – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/eei7bzgcxu275joxv3pfq/APr9JlEvEnGolvgkCKZSf1U?rlkey=x4f79eqakkgifzxv1v41i2jkc&dl=0

Sources

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