Glamorous cruise ship passenger says life was ruined by horrific mistake after she stepped off vessel in Florida

On December 24, 2022, Jennifer Heath Box, a 50-year-old mother, was arrested at Port Everglades after returning from a cruise. Authorities mistakenly identified her as a suspect in a child endangerment case in Texas due to a mix-up with a similar name. Despite her protests and verification attempts, she was handcuffed and spent three days in jail under harsh conditions, missing Christmas with her family, including her son who was about to be deployed. The arrest stemmed from a warrant issued by Harris County, which had erroneously attached Box's driver's license photo to the warrant for another woman, Jennifer Del Carmen Heath. Box's brother, a police officer, intervened and urged officials to compare fingerprints, which ultimately confirmed the mistake. However, the Broward County Sheriff's Office had already detained her based on the warrant without proper verification. During her time in jail, Box faced numerous distressing experiences, including threats from male inmates and extreme cold, which forced her to share a cell for warmth. The situation was exacerbated by the deputy's insistence that she was the correct suspect despite clear discrepancies in their identities, including age and name. Following her release, Box announced plans to sue Broward County and Deputy Peter Peraza for violating her constitutional rights. The Broward County Sheriff's Office expressed sympathy for her ordeal, acknowledging that the arrest was a result of the warrant filed by Harris County, which they claim led to the notification and subsequent arrest.