CHICAGO (WLS) — According to a statement from Copenhagen police, two college students who are U.S. citizens from the Chicago area found themselves in legal trouble during their spring break trip to Denmark. The students were charged with assault while visiting the country.
During their visit to Copenhagen, Owen Ray, a 19-year-old student at the University of Miami in Ohio, and his friend (whose name was not disclosed) were taken into custody at Copenhagen Airport on April 1. This occurred after an alleged altercation with an Uber driver the previous night, stated Jordan Finfer, a lawyer representing Ray’s family, in an interview with ABC News.
Copenhagen police officials confirmed that on March 31, the two American students were arrested in Copenhagen. Subsequently, they appeared in court on the same day and were accused of committing common assault. The students were given a 10-day pre-trial detention, which was later extended until April 24.
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.
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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