Jennifer Heath Box found herself shivering on a cold, hard mat on the floor of a jail cell, pressed back-to-back with another inmate just to stay warm. It was Christmas Eve, and the air conditioning in Broward County Jail, South Florida, felt more like a chilling winter wind. Guards walked by bundled in coats and beanies while Jennifer sat there, confused, humiliated, and freezing.
Her son, a Marine, was leaving for Okinawa, Japan, on December 27 for a three-year posting. Christmas Eve 2022 was supposed to be a precious time with her family—the last they’d all be together for a long time. But instead of holiday joy, Jennifer was sitting in jail for something she didn’t do.
The police had arrested the wrong “Jennifer.”
Jennifer Heath Box is now suing the Broward Sheriff’s Office, saying they violated her rights by not properly checking if she was the right person for the arrest warrant. Her story is a frightening example of how easily someone’s life can be turned upside down by a simple mistake.
Jennifer and her husband had just returned from a six-day cruise celebrating her brother’s recovery from cancer. The vacation ended on a high note, and they were eager to get home to their family in Texas. But when Jennifer scanned her badge to disembark, cruise staff told her she needed to meet with security. Moments later, police and Customs and Border Protection agents surrounded her.
They asked, “Are you Jennifer Heath?” She confirmed but was stunned when they said there was a warrant for her arrest out of Harris County, Texas, for endangering a child.
Jennifer was floored. “Endangering a child? What child would I endanger?” she asked. Her husband, equally shocked, told officers, “I think y’all have the wrong person.”
And he was right. The real suspect was a 25-year-old woman named Jennifer Delcarmen Heath, not 48-year-old Jennifer Heath Box. The two women were vastly different—Jennifer Box is nearly six inches taller, decades older, and has no minor children, let alone a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old like the other Jennifer. But none of these glaring differences stopped the officers from cuffing her and taking her to the Broward County Jail.
From the moment she arrived, Jennifer pleaded her innocence. Even the booking officer noticed there were no warrants under her name when they scanned her ID. But Deputy Peter Peraza insisted they book her anyway. This decision, Jennifer’s attorneys argue, was not only wrong but preventable.
Jennifer’s nightmare continued as she was strip-searched, given a prison uniform, and placed in a cold, dirty cell. Christmas morning was no better. She spent it on the floor of her cell, surrounded by strangers and listening to screams and chaos from the nearby men’s area. She wasn’t allowed bond because the warrant for the other Jennifer was an extradition warrant, meaning she could have been stuck in jail for up to 30 days waiting for Harris County to collect her.
Meanwhile, her husband and brother were working tirelessly to prove her innocence. Officials in Harris County said they needed Broward to send over Jennifer’s fingerprints and the warrant for comparison. But according to the lawsuit, Broward County refused.
It wasn’t until December 26—after Jennifer had spent three nights in jail—that she was able to file a complaint demanding that her fingerprints be compared to those of the actual suspect. By 10 a.m. on December 27, Jennifer was released. But it was too late. Her son had already boarded his flight to Okinawa, and she missed her chance to say goodbye.
“They took something from me that I’ll never get back,” Jennifer said tearfully. “I’ll never get that time with my kids again.”
As she was being escorted out of the jail, Jennifer shared her pain with the officer walking her out. She told him how she’d missed Christmas with her family and her son’s departure. At first, the officer dismissed her concerns, but when she mentioned her son leaving for the Marine Corps, his tone softened. “Things happen,” he said. That was the closest thing to an apology she ever received.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office later released a statement saying they sympathized with Jennifer’s ordeal but placed the blame on Harris County. According to them, Customs and Border Protection flagged Jennifer based on Harris County’s warrant, leading to her arrest. They also claimed their internal review found no misconduct by their deputy.
Jennifer’s attorneys, however, disagree. They argue that the Broward Sheriff’s Office had plenty of opportunities to verify her identity before arresting her. The lawsuit also points out that Broward County has a troubling history of similar mistakes, including one case where a man spent five days in jail before police realized they had the wrong person.
Jennifer’s lawsuit isn’t just about getting justice for herself. She wants to ensure this never happens to anyone else. As she decorated her Christmas tree this year, she reflected on the pain of that Christmas Eve two years ago.
“You’re messing with people’s lives,” she said. “It’s not just checking a box and moving on. You’re hurting people—families—and it’s not okay.”
Her fight continues, but Jennifer hopes her story will spark change, holding authorities accountable and preventing future mistakes that could ruin someone’s holiday—or their life.
