A mother’s family selfie spared her son from a possible life sentence in prison, illustrating the strength of proof against a falsehood.
When Christopher Precopia was arrested in September 2017 on suspicion of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house and brutally beating her with a box cutter, his life took a terrible turn.
According to ABC affiliate KVUE, Precopia’s ex-girlfriend informed police that he had broken into her house and beaten her, even carving a “X” right below her neck with a box cutter.
If found guilty, the then-21-year-old could have received a 99-year prison sentence, thus these charges might have permanently changed his life.
Even more disturbing was the apparent paucity of information provided by the police when the young Texan man was taken into custody.
The Washington Post said that defense lawyer Rick Flores told Precopia, when he asked why he was arrested, “Don’t act like you don’t know.”
Furthermore, Precopia’s confusion was apparent when he asked officers, “Where is Bell County?” after learning that he had an arrest warrant in Bell County.
Precopia insisted on his innocence even after he eventually realized how serious the accusations against him were.
When Precopia’s mother, Erin, discovered an important piece of evidence—a selfie shot at a family get-together at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, which is almost 70 miles from the alleged crime scene—it marked a turning point in the case.
Time-stamped and geolocated, this seemingly innocent snapshot provided an unquestionable alibi, putting Precopia in a totally different location at the time of the alleged assault
Per USA Today, mom Erin said: “This is awesome. By the grace of God she said it happened on the day when I can totally, 100 percent, where he was.”
The family would have had a difficult time establishing Precopia’s innocence if his ex-girlfriend had said the incident happened on any other day.
The existence of the selfie and the time of the claimed encounter offered Precopia a strong and convincing argument, according to defense lawyer Flores. And his location was confirmed by cell tower data.
“It’s not normally black and white. But this is one of the cases I could definitely prove he did not commit this offense,” Flores said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Precopia shared his profound relief at being exonerated, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support of his family throughout the tumultuous legal battle. “I had no idea who accused me of this; I had no idea why everything was happening,” Precopia recounted. “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.”
For mom Erin, the discovery of the selfie provided a glimmer of hope during a dark time for her family. “Thankfully, I do log on Facebook all the time, and I check in when I go places,” she remarked.
Following a nine-month journey that left the Precopia family in shock, Flores brought the evidence to the Bell County District Attorney’s Office, and the charges against Precopia were dismissed in June 2018.
The emotional toll on Precopia and his loved ones is incalculable, even though the legal battle may be over. The charges resulted in Precopia’s expulsion from the Army and more than $340,000 in legal bills for the family.
Precopia stayed steadfast in his resolve to take back his life and go on in spite of the trauma of his illegal arrest and the difficult court battle that ensued.
