A MOTHER has filed a lawsuit against law enforcement officials after being wrongfully arrested and detained over the Christmas holiday on a warrant issued for a different woman.
Fresh off a trip to the Bahamas, Jennifer Heath Box, 50, and her husband were eager to get off a cruise when it docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 24, 2022.
For Box and her family, that Christmas would be the last time they would spend together over the next few years.
Box’s son, a Marine, was slated to depart for Okinawa, Japan, on December 27, where he would be stationed for the next three years.
However, as soon as Box and her husband reached the front line to disembark the cruise, a staff official told her that security needed to meet with her.
Soon, the couple was surrounded by Broward County Sheriff deputies and agents with the Customs and Border Protection.
“They asked if I was Jennifer Heath,” she told Fox News Digital, explaining to the news outlet that she kept Heath as her middle name after marrying her husband.
Deputies told Box and her husband that she had a warrant for her arrest out of Harris County, Texas, for endangering a child.
A confused Box asked the deputies, “Endangering a child? What child would I endanger?”
Broward County officials handcuffed Box and placed her in the back of a sheriff’s cruiser despite pleas from the couple that deputies had the wrong Jennifer.
Box was transported to the Broward County jail, where she was held for three days despite numerous complaints to deputies that they had the wrong person.
Box spent Christmas in jail and was denied bond because the other Jennifer had an extradition warrant, according to the lawsuit obtained by the outlet.
Meanwhile, Box’s husband and their children were seeking answers about why their mother was being detained.
Finally, on December 26, Box was able to file a complaint, asking Broward County officials to compare her fingerprints to those of the other Jennifer.
Box was released at 10 am the following day, and she recalled fuming at the deputy who escorted her out of the detention center.
The mother described the deputy’s demeanor as “completely arrogant” and was appalled when the officer replied, “Things happen,” when addressing her wrongful detention.
“They took from me things that I will never get back,” Box told Fox News Digital.
“I’ll never get that time back with my kids. I’ll never get to have that opportunity to have those memories.”
JARRING MISTAKE
Box did not get to spend time with her son over the Christmas holiday as he was boarding his flight to Tokyo when his mother was being released.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Jared McClain of the Institute for Justice, slammed Broward County officials for the error and underscored at least “10 significant discrepancies” between Box and the subject of the warrant.
Jennifer, the subject of the warrant, was 25 years old, 23 years younger than Box, who was 48 at the time.
Box also had no minor children, while Jennifer was being accused of endangering her young children, ages 1 and 3.
The woman who was wanted for the crimes was also Hispanic, 5 inches shorter than Box, and had different eyes, hair, and skin color.
The only information that impacted Box was a copy of her driver’s license photo, which had been attached to the warrant out of Harris County.
McClain, Box’s attorney, blamed Harris County and Broward Sheriff officials, as well as Customer and Border Protection (CBP) agents, for the jarring mistake.
“They had a duty to ensure that the person they were arresting was actually the subject of the warrant-especially in the face of Jennifer’s request and credible insistence that they had the wrong person,” McClain told the outlet.
The attorney said CBP officials flagged Box’s name for Broward County deputies before she left on the six-day cruise, giving officials “ample time” to confirm her identity before making the arrest.
‘NO DEPUTY MISCONDUCT’
Broward County deputies told The U.S. Sun they “sympathized” with Box’s “difficult situation” but blamed Harris County for the error.
The sheriff’s office said its deputies “followed the appropriate protocols in handling this matter after receiving confirmation of the Harris County warrant.”
But, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office added, “Had it not been for the arrest warrant filed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Customs and Border Patrol would not have flagged Ms. Box, BSO would not have been notified, and she would not have been arrested.
“The actions of the BSO deputy involved in arresting Ms. Box were reviewed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division, and no employee misconduct was found.”
The lawsuit read that Box felt “humiliated and terrified as she was strip-searched, given a prison uniform, and placed in a cold, dirty cell.”
The suit is seeking an admission that the officials violated Box’s constitutional rights and damages.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The U.S. Sun.
