Reading Man Jailed for 4 Days After Court Mix-up

Man mistakenly jailed after charges against him were dismissed

Berks County authorities say a paperwork mix-up led to a man being mistakenly jailed for four days after charges against him were dismissed.

District Attorney John Adams says it shouldn't have happened and he vowed to get to the root of the problem.

The Reading Eagle reports it happened to 44-year-old Victor M. Ortiz after charges against him in a domestic dispute case were dismissed Friday.

The newspaper reports court officials told Ortiz he was free to go, but first had to go with sheriff's deputies back to the prison to pick up his clothes and sign out.

But officials say that, due to lost paperwork, Ortiz was put back in a cell and held there until Tuesday.

Prison Warden George Wagner says he is conducting an investigation into what happened.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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