HOUSTON (AP) — A federal officer slammed a vehicle into a Houston construction worker and broke his leg while pursuing a man who apparently died years ago, his family said Friday, further calling into question the account given by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The worker, 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez of Mexico, remains hospitalized with multiple leg fractures and needs reconstructive ankle surgery, according to FIEL, a Houston-based immigration advocacy group. At a news conference Friday, the group said the alleged suspect's family had shared documentation proving his death.
After the episode Saturday, ICE said in a statement that officers had observed a suspect they were targeting, identified as Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, enter a vehicle with Parra Hernandez.
But on Friday, Harris County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre told The Associated Press that Mendoza-Cervantes was not in that vehicle.
ICE did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
The target of ICE’s operation may have been dead for years
“ICE is lying,” Cesar Espinosa, FIEL’s executive director, said. “Either somebody is not telling the truth or all of a sudden these two ICE agents have developed a sixth sense and are able to see dead people.”
ICE released a photo of a man it identified as Mendoza-Cervantes. But he is actually Jose Hector Jimenez, who died years ago while being pursued by federal immigration authorities as he was trying to reenter the U.S., according to FIEL.
The man's daughter provided his death certificate from the Mexican government, which has been turned over to the district attorney, Espinosa told the AP. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment.
Jimenez’s daughter, Jamie Jimenez, did not respond to requests for comment from the AP. Her husband, Andres Rendon, confirmed to the AP that Jimenez was his wife’s deceased father.
Video shows ICE vehicle speeding toward fleeing man
Criminal charges against the ICE officer who drove the vehicle are being considered by the Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who 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 and driving toward a man who is running away. The video does not show the car hitting him — that view is blocked by another vehicle — but it shows the SUV inches from the fleeing man. The video then shows him on the ground.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat who represents Houston, said that ICE appears to be lying about what happened.
“If ICE was pursuing a man who died years ago, it raises serious questions about how these operations are being carried out and whether agents are even verifying who they’re looking for before putting people’s lives at risk,” Garcia said in a statement to the AP. “It’s outrageous, but frankly, not surprising.”
Injured worker remains hospitalized and in custody
Parra Hernandez's attorney, Kim Bruno, told reporters that her client is suffering from depression in federal custody, especially after learning that he was not the target of the operation.
“This never should have happened in the first place,” Bruno said.
His brother, Roberto Parra, said they would work construction all day together and he just wants his brother treated with humanity. He said Parra Hernandez has a family to support, and his only crime was coming to a country out of necessity.
FIEL is seeking Parra Hernandez's release before he is moved from a hospital to a federal detention center.
Nidia Delfín, the sister of Luis Enrique Delfín, who was detained in the ICE vehicle that hit Parra Hernandez, called for her brother's release from federal custody so he could serve as a witness.
“He’s still very concerned, still very afraid,” she said. “He's not the same guy that was out last week.”
