A 43-year-old man who at one time was wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement is wanted after a Houston girl reported she was touched inappropriately.
Carlos Jose Ayala Morales, 43. is charged with felony attempted indecency with a child, according to KHOU.
The incident for which he is wanted took place on Jan. 27.
“When the police released his name and identity, it was great to be able to put a name with a face — but now we need to be able to put ‘arrested’ underneath that release,” parent Holly Roemisch said.
WANTED: Carlos Jose Ayala Morales, 43, is charged with felony attempted indecency with a child in this incident.
Tips about his whereabouts? Call @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS for a reward up to $5K.#HouNews https://t.co/Hzf9kFfgdy pic.twitter.com/XphotbscjJ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) February 11, 2025
Ayala Morales has a record of convictions for assaulting children.
“A man came behind me, and he touched my private parts,” the alleged victim told KRIV.
“I hope he’s caught and put away much longer, so he can’t hurt other children,” her mother said. Neither the parent nor child were named.
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According to KHOU, Ayala Morales was first accused of touching children in 2014. KRIV reported that when he was arrested in 2017, ICE issued a detainer for him. According to the American Immigration Council, not everyone who receives a detainer is an illegal immigrant: “Lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or green card holders) may also be subject to immigration detainers if ICE determines they may be deportable under immigration law.”
KRIV reported that Ayala Morales is a Honduran national; KHOU reported that he was originally from Honduras but was an American citizen. Ayala Morales was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released from prison in 2024 with records saying he was released to ICE.
Man wanted for allegedly groping 7-year-old on her way home from school in The Heights has been identified but he’s still wanted. And he’s been in similar trouble before. “We have a lot of questions.” I’m getting new reaction for @KHOU. Background: https://t.co/jxtfVXdM4A #khou11
— Jason Miles (@JMilesKHOU) February 11, 2025
“He was caught. He was convicted. He was put in prison for not enough time and then released,” said parent Stella Hart said, according to KTRK-TV.
Not only are there unanswered questions about what happened to Ayala Morales after he was released to ICE in 2024, but there are also questions about why he was not put on the Texas Sex Offender Registry prior to the recent incident.
“The fact that he’s been previously convicted and sent to prison, but yet was still not on the registry, is just unfathomable to me,” Roemisch said.
“Somewhere along the line, a ball got dropped.”
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice explained that it did not put Ayala Morales on the register because he was released ICE, which dropped an immigration charge against Ayala Morales five days after he was set free, according to KTRK-TV.
But subsequently, the Texas Department of Public Safety told KTRK, “It appears Ayala Morales’ registration was submitted in February 2024 but was diverted due to human error and never processed. Again, the notification for his duty to register has now been processed, and he can be found on the Texas Public Sex Offender website.”
He has since been added to the Texas Sex Offender Registry.
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