ICE officer accused of hitting immigrant in Houston with an SUV turns himself in

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who is accused of intentionally ramming his car into a Mexican construction worker in Houston turned himself in Monday, his attorney said.

Mario Alberto Morales made his first court appearance on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for striking Miguel Parra Hernandez with an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10, as Morales chased the 48-year-old construction worker through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales, 33, on Friday.

During Monday's hearing, Judge Matthew Peneguy set bond at $30,000. Prosecutors had asked that bond be set at $75,000, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Morales is one of just a few federal officers who have faced criminal charges over their actions on the job during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown . Other encounters have come under investigation .

ICE has asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales' vehicle, an account that prosecutors say is contradicted by video. Surveillance camera video shows Morales’ vehicle drive over a median and strike Parra Hernandez as he runs away.

David Lindenmuth, Morales’ attorney, has said his client was “truly a good man” and did not commit a crime.

Parra Hernandez broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare.

Morales had worked as an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer for a little more than a year, Lindenmuth said. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress this year and previously served in the Army.

Morales was charged with a misdemeanor in 2013 for stealing four DVDs, according to Harris County Court records. Those charges were dismissed under a plea deal in which he paid a $270 fine.

Wilder is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.