CHICAGO — Two college students, both United States citizens from the Chicago area, were detained while visiting Denmark on their spring break, according to an attorney representing the family of one of the young men.
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Owen Ray, a 19-year-old studying at the University of Miami in Ohio, and his unnamed friend were detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 over an alleged dispute with an Uber driver the night prior, Jordan Finfer, a U.S.-based attorney for Ray’s family, told ABC News.
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In an account relayed to Finfer, who then shared the details with ABC News, Ray said that he and a friend were in an Uber on March 31 when they realized they had entered the wrong address for their destination — and the driver allegedly refused to take them anywhere else.
All parties — Ray, the friend and the Uber driver — eventually got out of the car, and an altercation then allegedly occurred, Finfer said, based on Ray’s account.
Finfer says Ray told him that the driver kicked Ray in the groin, and in response, Ray pushed him away and the driver fell, the attorney recounted, adding that Ray and his friend then ran away.
The two students were detained at Copenhagen Airport the next day while trying to return home, Finfer told ABC News. Local police detained them after deeming them “flight risks,” claiming they were planning to run from the incident, he said.
“The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, and we take reports of violence very seriously,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday.
“Any additional questions about the investigation should be directed to the Danish police,” the statement added.
Ray’s Denmark-based attorney, Eigil Strand, confirmed to ABC News that as of 10:50 p.m. Danish time, both of the young men are still being detained, while Danish police say neither student has been charged.
ABC News has reached out to Danish officials for comment.
The U.S. State Department provided a statement to ABC7 on Sunday saying, “We are aware of media reports of two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark. Staff at our embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance.”
“The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” it continued. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”
The mother of Owen Ray, Sara Buchen-Ray, is now speaking out.
“Our son was supposed to come home from Copenhagen… I woke up to a text message that said, ‘Mom, I’m in prison in Copenhagen, call the U.S. Embassy,'” Buchen-Ray said.
Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s officer released a statement, saying they have “been in regular contact with the family and our embassy in Denmark since being made aware of situation.”
No further information was immediately available.
ABC News’ Benjamin Siu and ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.
More of ABC News’ interview Ray’s mother can be seen Monday on Good Morning America at 7 a.m. on ABC7.
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