Texas Grand Jury Indicts ICE Agent in Houston Vehicle Strike

A Texas grand jury has indicted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Mario Alberto Morales over a vehicle collision that injured Miguel Parra Hernandez during an enforcement operation in west Houston on October 10. The Harris County District Attorney's Office announced Friday that Morales faces aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.

The indictment was returned Friday morning by a Harris County grand jury. Morales, 33, is accused of driving an SUV into Parra Hernandez, who was on foot at the time of the incident.

According to Parra Hernandez's family and representatives, the collision caused injuries to his hip, leg and ankle, including a broken leg that required hospitalization.

Video evidence obtained from nearby businesses and witnesses played an important role in the investigation. District Attorney Sean Teare said footage reviewed by investigators supported allegations that the agent deliberately struck the injured man.

Security footage obtained by NBC affiliate KPRC shows a white truck facing against the direction of traffic on a busy roadway. Parra Hernandez and another man emerge from the vehicle and run away.

The recording then shows another vehicle crossing a yellow median and moving toward Parra Hernandez. The unmarked vehicle swerves left into his path before a man is subsequently visible lying on the pavement behind the ICE vehicle.

ICE initially described the collision differently, disputing allegations that its officer intentionally struck the man. In its statement following the incident, the agency said:

"ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck." ICE stated in its account of the collision.

The federal agency also rejected allegations of deliberate misconduct, describing claims against its officer as:

"reckless and false." ICE said in response to accusations that the collision was intentional.

ICE said its officers were conducting a "targeted enforcement operation" to arrest Jose Mendoza-Cervantes. The agency maintained that Parra Hernandez and another individual were not the intended targets of the operation.

However, information about the intended target raised questions about the operation. Mendoza-Cervantes' daughter told immigrant rights organization FIEL of Houston and Parra Hernandez's attorney, Kim Bruno, that her father had died in 2017.

The investigation also encountered difficulties involving the vehicle used in the collision. According to a search warrant affidavit cited by KPRC, ICE officers left the scene with the vehicle before investigators had completed their examination.

Teare previously said the officers did not agree to have the vehicle towed for forensic examination and departed while investigators were seeking a search warrant. A judge approved the warrant on October 15.

The warrant return indicated that the document had been forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security's legal division. As of October 23, DHS and ICE had been described as "unresponsive" to investigators' request for access to the vehicle.

Teare said removing the vehicle from the scene could have compromised important evidence, including electronic crash data that might otherwise have helped establish how the collision occurred.

The district attorney had previously characterized the surveillance footage as evidence of an intentional collision. He described the recorded impact as an:

"intentional" strike, according to Teare's earlier account of the investigation.

Parra Hernandez's background has also emerged as part of the case. His attorney told NBC News that he had lived in the United States for 34 years after arriving at age 14 and had no criminal record. An advocate said he was working in stucco construction when the collision occurred.

DHS previously stated that Parra Hernandez was in the country without legal authorization. A senior department official also confirmed earlier in October that the officer involved had been placed on administrative leave.

DHS had not immediately responded to NBC News' request for comment following the indictment. KPRC also contacted attorneys representing Morales and the department for responses to the latest developments.