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New dad spends nearly a month in jail for a crime he didn't commit

Sadly, law experts say this happens more often than you think.

A case of mistaken identity landed a young father-to-be behind bars for weeks.

But how Kobe Jones ended up in jail is mind blowing.

It all started with a warrant - one that any average citizen can file.

Andy Bloch filed the warrant for vandalism through what Jones said was a simple online people search. But it was filed against the wrong Kobe Jones, causing the new dad to spend nearly a month in jail for a crime he didn't commit.

"I thank God he blessed me to be out to see my child's birth," Jones said.

11Alive obtained a copy of the citizen's arrest warrant. The last page shows that the wrong person was arrested. They only realized the mistake when the alleged victim saw Jones in court and told officials it was the wrong person.

"The judge and my attorney said 'This is Kobe right here,' and he was like, 'Oh y'all have the wrong person'," Jones said.

Sadly, this happens more often than you think.

"This is symbolic of the problem with eyewitness identification," Criminal Defense Attorney Drew Findling said. "It is just one of the most unreliable sources of evidence. What greater example than of a person that's in a jail and it's the wrong person."

He said race and class play a big role in mistaken identity cases.

"People of color are most disadvantaged in this country," he said. " It's completely disproportionate."

He said the way around it is to focus on reliable information.

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