ICE agent indicted in Harris County crash: Defense attorney calls it an accident, not a crime
Defense attorney fires back after ICE agent indicted in Houston-area crash
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was indicted on an aggravated assault charge following a crash in Harris County. His defense attorney is firing back, calling the incident an accident, not a crime.
HOUSTON - An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was indicted on an aggravated assault charge following a crash in Harris County. His defense attorney is firing back, calling the incident an accident, not a crime.
The officer involved in the crash was identified Friday by Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare as Mario Alberto Morales. A grand jury indicted Morales on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
A conviction could bring a sentence of anywhere from two to 20 years in prison.
ICE agent indicted following Clay Road crash
The backstory:
Body camera video and 911 call audio released Friday will be critical evidence in the case involving ICE agent Mario Morales and Miguel Parra-Hernandez.
On Oct. 10, ICE agents were involved in a crash on Clay Road near Highway 6.
The Department of Homeland Security says its agents were on a targeted enforcement operation looking for a man named Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, claiming the man had four prior arrests.
The attorney representing Morales says that while on the operation, two occupants of a white truck, Parra-Hernandez and another person, allegedly fled from agents.
Video shows Parra-Hernandez being struck by the ICE vehicle.
Defense attorney fires back
What they're saying:
David Lindenmuth, the attorney representing Morales, says his client was attempting to close the distance with someone fleeing from agents when the crash happened.
"What I see is an individual fleeing from a lawful detention and deciding that they don't want to be detained. I see an officer doing what every single officer who drives a patrol car does, closing the distance with an individual on foot. What went wrong is that that person fled, and there was a vehicle in front of Mr. Morales's patrol vehicle, and he had to take evasive maneuvers to not strike that vehicle head on. That's what happened. That is an accident. It is not a crime," Lindenmuth said.
"The DA may need some training, I'd be happy to give it to them because I prosecuted for ten years as a state prosecutor, and I prosecuted for almost 13 years as a federal prosecutor. And you know, where you're supposed to go with evidence? Where it takes you. You don't tell agents, agencies, or your employees where that investigation is supposed to go," Lindenmuth said.
In its latest statement, ICE claimed, "This is nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians."
Different reactions to ICE agent crash video
The other side:
The same video is being interpreted in different ways.
Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL, says the video shows what happened leading up to the crash.
"The video speaks for itself. The video shows the moments leading up to the accident. The video shows the moment of the accident. So what are they watching? In fact, they should own up to what they did," Espinosa said.
Espinosa also emphasized the importance of allowing the justice system to handle the case.
"Everybody is innocent until proven guilty. For all we know, this person could walk away free. But we have to give the justice system the chance to interview everybody, to have a fair trial and for the truth, at the end of the day, to come out," Espinosa said.
What's next for the indicted ICE agent?
What's next:
The attorney representing Morales claims his client will turn himself in on Monday.
FOX 26 will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, attorney David Lindenmuth and FIEL Executive Director Cesar Espinosa, as reported by FOX 26's Angie Rodriguez.