Christopher “CJ” Precopia found himself at the center of a nightmare when he was falsely accused of a brutal attack against his ex-girlfriend. But a casual selfie, captured by his mother, provided the critical evidence needed to clear the young man’s name, freeing him from a lifetime behind bars.
On the morning of September 22, 2017, Christopher “CJ” Precopia clocked in for what seemed like a normal day at a lumber yard in Georgetown, Texas. By the end of the day, his life took a devastating turn when police officers arrived at his workplace and arrested him.
The 21-year-old man was facing a possible 99-year prison sentence, and he couldn’t figure out why.
“I’m just spun around, handcuffs put on,” CJ told ABC News affiliate KVUE. “I had no idea who accused me of this, I had no idea why everything was happening, and I was lost.”
And then he learned his high school ex, Faith Cox – whom he hadn’t seen in years – was leading the charge.
According to the suspect’s mother, Erin, CJ and the girl dated for about six weeks while her son was a 17-year-old high school senior, and she was a 15-year-old sophomore. She told ABC News that the breakup was not amicable.
According to reports, Cox claimed that on the evening of September 20, 2017, around 7:20 p.m., her former high school sweetheart broke into her home in Temple and violently attacked her.
ABC writes that the Temple Police Department followed up on “a report of an assault with weapons,” and were told by the alleged victim 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.”
The reporting officer also said he observed cuts and injuries to the Cox’s face and hands, which he said were likely made by a box cutter, the weapon that according to the teenager, was used by CJ to carve an “X” into her chest, and for cutting her face.
“I could hear the slices being made,” the Cox claimed in a handwritten statement to police.
99 problems
Despite having no physical evidence connecting him to the crime, CJ was arrested and charged with first-degree felony burglary of a habitation with intent to commit additional felonies, an offense punishable by up to 99 years if convicted, Flores said.
“I was constantly fearful as to what could happen the next day. I was going to sleep hoping I wouldn’t wake up. Just to get away from it,” A teary-eyed CJ told ABC.
With his freedom hanging in the balance, the man was taken to the Williamson County Jail, where his parents managed to secure his release by posting a $150,000 bond. What followed was a relentless fight to prove his innocence – a battle that would ultimately rely on an unexpected source of evidence.
Game-changing selfie
Despite knowing he was innocent, CJ spent the next nine months living in fear of spending a lifetime behind bars: “That’s what I was scared of most, just going to prison for no reason,” the man said.
Then a piece of casual evidence turned the case around – a selfie taken by his mother.
The snap, taken on the same day Erin’s son was accused of the vicious assault, showed her, CJ, and a group of friends at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, about 70 miles away from Cox’s home.
And at 7:02 p.m. – only 18 minutes before the alleged attack – she shared the image on Facebook, a digital footprint with crucial timestamp and geolocation data that served as irrefutable proof that CJ could not have committed the crime.
“This is awesome. By the grace of God [ex-girlfriend] said it happened on the day when I can totally, 100 percent, know where he was,” Erin said.
Nine months after CJ’s arrest, the evidence was presented to the prosecutors, who subsequently dismissed the charge “in the interest of justice.”
The accuser had informed the police that she and CJ had a troubled relationship when they dated in high school several years ago, which she cited as the reason for reporting the alleged assault.
Justice served
And then in December 2018, Cox was charged with filing a false report.
“As soon as I saw her mugshot, I broke down crying. It was a wave of emotions that hit me,” CJ told Fox News. “I couldn’t really contain myself cause of the pure joy of her finally being brought to justice.”
CJ, who, joined the navy after graduating college, adds, “It’s a struggle to go about your daily life knowing that anything could happen, just from somebody saying anything, can just ruin your life in an instant.”
This incredible story highlights the power of social media, the flaws within the justice system, and how digital footprints can become crucial evidence in legal battles.
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