DUNCAN, British Columbia — A teenager says she's happy to be home and resting after five days in a U.S. detention center because of a bad joke at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Sarah Van Egmond of this Vancouver Island town got into trouble Friday after she arrived and was denied entry into the United States because of concern that she would try to gain citizenship by marrying her U.S. boyfriend in Columbus, Ohio.

When she was asked a standard question, whether she had any "credible fears" about returning to Canada, she jokingly replied that a rapist was on the loose in Duncan and she was afraid to go home.

She said Wednesday her remark was "bad judgment," adding that at the time she did not understand the consequences.

The main consequence was that Van Egmond was held until her case could be reviewed by a "credible fears investigator," which, because of the Fourth of July holiday, could not happen before Tuesday.

U.S. Customs and Immigration spokesman Mike Milne said he could not comment on the case.

The teen's father, John Van Egmond, said it took some effort for him to reach the right officials and convince them to relent, partly because she has a mild form of autism called Asperger Syndrome that can affect social skills and hinder clear thinking in stressful situations.

She said she might try again to visit her boyfriend as early as next week, "except this time I'm not going to cross the border alone."