Police: Drunk Hudson Valley Woman Arrested For 106th Time
A Hudson Valley woman was arrested numerous times over the weekend and 106 times in about four years. Police believe this proves "our mental health systems is broken."
Christine A. Diliberto, 41, of Saugerties was arrested around 2:00 a.m. Friday morning after Diliberto in an alleged intoxicated condition allegedly called the Saugerties Police Department repeatedly for hours, tying up emergency phone lines.
Diliberto who called with no emergencies, berated the emergency dispatcher, screaming and spewing obscenities, police say. Diliberto also called starting calling the Ulster County 911 center, tying up county 911 dispatchers, officials allege.
Police located Diliberto and charged her with obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor.
On Saturday between the hours of 12:49 AM and 2:52 AM, Diliberto contacted the Town of Saugerties Police Department emergency number a total of nine times and Ulster County 911 a total of four times, police say.
The content of her phone calls was not of an emergency service request in nature and was purely frivolous and harassing nature preventing police dispatchers and officers the ability to respond and address emergency calls for service, officials say.
Diliberto was issued another obstruction of governmental administration appearance ticket. Due to her dangerous level of intoxication, Diliberto was transported to the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley Broadway Campus Hospital for further medical care, police say.
Later on Saturday, around 4 p.m., Saugerties police responded to 55 E. Bridge Street in the Village of Saugerties for an intoxicated female who was allegedly contacting official emergency police telephone lines multiple times between the hours of 12:56 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. for no legitimate purpose.
Upon arrival, contact was made with Diliberto who was highly intoxicated, police say. Diliberto was processed on another misdemeanor charge of obstruction of governmental administration second degree and then transported to the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley for a Mental Health Evaluation and treatment for acute alcohol poisoning.
"This is why Ulster County needs a Stabilization Center like the one in Dutchess County! There is a major gap in our dismantled mental health care system that is allowing individuals suffering from substance abuse to continually slip through," Saugerties Police Department Chief Joseph Sinagra said in a press release.
Since June of 2016, Saugerties police have arrested Diliberto 106 times, police say. The majority of the arrests are under the New York State Mental Hygiene Law 9.41, according to the Saugerties Police Department.
"This underscores the failure of NYS to provide adequate and equitable mental health care for those suffering from mental health issues," Sinagra added. "I am disheartened over the failure of our 21st century mental health system in caring for individuals such as Christine. It’s time to address the inequities in our mental health system in NYS- Time to re-envision what a caring an adequate mental health care system should look like!"
Wanted By New York State Police
KEEP READING: Check out these totally awesome '80s toys
More From Hudson Valley Post
