License plate mix-up leads family to awkward encounter with police

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – It was supposed to be a quiet night for Jerome Karam, his wife Leslie and their son.

They had just finished dinner and were driving back to their Friendswood home when they noticed something odd in the rearview mirror.

“We noticed that there were six police cars with the lights on,” said Jerome Karam.

In utter disbelief, Leslie Karam called 911, thinking the stop was a hoax.

Through an intercom, the Karams were ordered by officers to get out of the car as guns were pointed at them.

Friendswood Police Department officers then realized there was a license plate mix-up.

The SUV the Karams were driving is a 2018 white Cadillac with his specialty license plates, which previously were on his old black Cadillac that he traded in a while ago.

While Jerome Karam registered his plate to his new car, the plate still carried the old VIN number that belonged to the black Cadillac, which was stolen in Blue Mound.

Officers followed standard felony stop procedures, and Blue Mound police said the problem falls on the DMV.

Jerome Karam and his wife said the rattling traffic stop was their wake up call.

“Make sure if you sell your car that you double- and triple-check with your DMV,” said Leslie Karam.