Christopher “CJ” Precopia was thrown into a nightmare when he was falsely accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend violently. But the key piece of evidence that cleared the young man’s reputation and prevented him from receiving a life term in jail was his mother’s informal selfie.
On the morning of September 22, 2017, Christopher “CJ” Precopia started what seemed to be an ordinary workday at a lumber yard in Georgetown, Texas. His life eventually took a horrible turn when police arrived at his workplace and hauled him into custody.
He couldn’t figure out why the 21-year-old man may be sentenced to 99 years in jail.
In an interview with ABC News station KVUE, CJ stated, “Handcuffs put on, I’m just spun around.” “I had no idea who had accused me of this or why it was all happening, and I was lost.”
The movement’s leader, his high school ex-girlfriend Faith Cox, whom he hadn’t seen in years, was then revealed to him.
Erin, the mother of the suspect, says that while she was a sophomore in high school and her son was a senior, 17 years old, CJ and the girl dated for around six weeks. She told ABC News that the breakup was not friendly.
“Assault with weapons”
According to reports, Cox said that on September 20, 2017, at around 7:20 p.m., her former high school sweetheart broke into her Temple home and then viciously attacked her.
After the Temple Police Department arrived to “a report of an assault with weapons,” the accused victim informed them that CJ “came towards her in an aggressive manner and pushed her to the ground, punched her in the face, and cut her with a box cutter,” according to ABC.
According to the reporting officer, the Cox’s face and hands had cuts and injuries that were most likely caused by a box cutter that the youngster said CJ used to cut her face and make a “X” in her chest.
“I could hear the slices being made,” the Cox wrote in a handwritten statement to police.
99 problems
Flores claims that despite the lack of concrete evidence connecting CJ to the crime, he was detained and charged with first-degree criminal burglary of a residence with intent to conduct further acts, which carries a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison if found guilty.
“I was constantly worried about what might happen the next day. The goal of going to bed was to avoid waking up. “To get away from it,” a heartbroken CJ told ABC.
After being taken to the Williamson County Jail, the man’s freedom was still in doubt even though his parents were able to secure his release by posting a $150,000 bond. The relentless effort to prove his innocence that followed would ultimately hinge on a surprising piece of information.
The game-changing selfie
Even though CJ knew he was innocent, he lived in constant fear of spending the rest of his life behind bars for the next nine months: “That’s what I was scared of most, just going to prison for no reason,” the man said.
Then, a piece of irrelevant evidence—a selfie shot by his mother—changed the course of the case.
On the same day that Erin’s son was accused of the vicious attack, Erin, CJ, and a group of friends were photographed at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, which is about 70 miles from Cox’s home.
Furthermore, at 7:02 p.m., only eighteen minutes before the alleged attack, she shared the digital footprint on Facebook along with the crucial timing and geographical data. This offered indisputable proof that CJ was incapable of carrying out the crime.
“This is amazing. “With God’s blessing, [the ex-girlfriend] was able to pinpoint his precise location that day,” Erin said.
Nine months after CJ’s arrest, prosecutors were presented with the evidence, and they subsequently dismissed the charge “in the interest of justice.”
The accuser informed the police that she and CJ had a turbulent relationship throughout their high school romance in order to support reporting the alleged assault.
Justice was served.
Afterward, in December 2018, Cox was charged with fabricating a report.
As soon as I saw her mugshot, I began to cry. A wave of emotions overtook me,” CJ told Fox News. “I was so relieved that she was finally being held accountable that I really couldn’t control myself.”
CJ, who joined the military after graduating from college, says, “It’s difficult to go about your everyday life knowing that anything could happen, just by somebody saying anything, can just ruin your life in an instant.”
This incredible story highlights the legal system’s flaws, the power of social media, and how digital footprints may become crucial evidence in court proceedings.
What are your thoughts on this story? Please tell your friends about this article and share your thoughts with us so that we may hear from them as well!