ICE agent who crashed into man in Texas was targeting suspect who died years ago, family says
Federal officer slammed vehicle into a construction worker while pursuing a man who died in similar circumstances A federal officer slammed a vehicle into a Houston construction worker and broke his leg, believing him to be a man who apparently died years ago, the dead man’s family said on Friday, further calling into question the account given by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The worker, 48-year-old…
Key points
- An ICE officer hit Houston construction worker Miguel Parra Hernandez with a vehicle on 10 October, breaking his leg.
- The family of Jose Mendoza-Cervantes says he died years ago and was not in the vehicle.
- A Harris county prosecutor said Mendoza-Cervantes was not in the vehicle that day.
A federal immigration officer drove a vehicle into a Houston construction worker on 10 October, breaking his leg, while pursuing a suspect who the family says died years ago. The worker, 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez of Mexico, remains hospitalized with multiple leg fractures and needs reconstructive ankle surgery, according to the Houston immigration advocacy group FIEL.
After the episode, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said officers had seen a suspect identified as Jose Mendoza-Cervantes get into a vehicle with Parra Hernandez. On Friday, Rafael Lemaitre of the Harris county district attorney's office told the Associated Press that Mendoza-Cervantes was not in that vehicle. ICE did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Family says suspect died years ago
At a news conference on Friday, FIEL said the family of the alleged suspect had shared documents proving his death. According to FIEL, the man in a photo ICE released as Mendoza-Cervantes is actually Jose Hector Jimenez, who died years ago while being pursued by federal immigration authorities as he tried to re-enter the US.
The man's daughter provided his death certificate from the Mexican government, which has been turned over to the district attorney, FIEL executive director Cesar Espinosa told the AP. Jimenez's son-in-law, Andres Rendon, confirmed to the AP that Jimenez was his wife's deceased father. US Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment.
ICE is lying
— Cesar Espinosa, FIEL's executive director
Charges considered and criticism
Harris county district attorney Sean Teare is considering criminal charges against the ICE officer who drove the vehicle. He has said surveillance footage contradicts ICE's claim that Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the vehicle. The video shows a black SUV speeding over a median toward a man running away, then shows him on the ground.
US House member Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat, said ICE appears to be lying about what happened and that the case raises questions about whether agents verify who they are looking for. Parra Hernandez's attorney, Kim Bruno, said her client was suffering from depression in federal custody. FIEL is seeking his release before he is moved from a hospital to a federal detention center.
