Tale of another Delaware County prisoner freed by mistake

DeLuca said she "freaked out," and instead committed herself to a crisis unit at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital for 72 hours, all the while continuing to drink vodka smuggled in by a friend, she said.

A "blackout" drinker, DeLuca admits that her memory of her timeout may not be perfect.

A few days later, a friend was taking her to Media to turn herself in. But fearing she would be penalized for being drunk, DeLuca left the car. Her friend called police; she was arrested and returned to Delaware County prison, where she faced additional charges and fines for giving police a false name.

Back in prison, and serving 81 days for violating her probation for a previous DUI charge, DeLuca said she joined Alcoholics Anonymous and signed up for every church and every class.

DeLuca said she had heard from other inmates and guards that her mistaken-release experience was not unique.

"This type of thing happens all the time," DeLuca said guards told her.

DeLuca said there is one silver lining to her experience. For the first time, she realizes that alcohol is not something she can handle on her own. She said she has embraced AA's 12 steps and is taking one day at a time.

Contact staff writer Mari A. Schaefer at 610-892-9149 or mschaefer@phillynews.com.