Jennifer Heath Box, a 50-year-old woman from Florida, claims her life was turned upside down after authorities made a severe mistake that led to her wrongful arrest. On Christmas Eve 2022, Box had just returned to Port Everglades after a weeklong cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas when she was surrounded by security guards and sheriff’s deputies from Broward County. She was arrested on child endangerment charges originating from Harris County, Texas.
Despite repeatedly insisting that they had the wrong person, Box was handcuffed and taken to jail. The authorities were actually searching for a different woman, Jennifer Del Carmen Heath. Box claims she endured horrendous conditions during her three days behind bars, including a male inmate attempting to enter her cell, freezing temperatures, and officers blasting loud death metal music. She also missed Christmas with her adult children and couldn’t say goodbye to her son, a U.S. Marine, before he was deployed to Japan.
Box is now suing Broward County and Deputy Peter Peraza, alleging that her constitutional rights were violated. Her lawyers argue that Peraza and other deputies should have realized that she wasn’t the suspect they were searching for, as there were clear differences between the two women, including age, physical appearance, and other key details.
Furthermore, a booking officer had informed Peraza that Box had no outstanding warrants, but the deputy insisted on arresting her based on a photo from the warrant. It was later discovered that a Harris County employee had accidentally attached Box’s driver’s license photo to the warrant instead of the actual suspect’s.
Box’s brother, a police officer, eventually convinced authorities to compare her fingerprints to those of Del Carmen Heath, which confirmed the mistake. By December 27, Harris County authorities ordered Box’s release. As she was released, a deputy reportedly told her, “It happens.”
Box’s attorneys argue that Broward County has inadequate systems in place to prevent wrongful arrests, particularly when dealing with out-of-jurisdiction warrants. Broward County Sheriff’s Office has denied any employee misconduct, stating that the deputies followed protocol based on the warrant from Harris County.
No lawsuit has been filed against Harris County, and the case against Del Carmen Heath was dismissed two days after Box’s release.
