A University of Miami (Ohio) student has been held in a Danish prison for more than two weeks following a confrontation with an Uber driver during a spring break trip to Copenhagen.
Owen Ray, 20, and a friend—both from the Chicago area—were arrested at Copenhagen Airport on April 1, according to Ray’s mother, Sara Buchen-Ray.
The arrest followed a disagreement with a ride-share driver the previous day, after the students reportedly entered the wrong destination into the Uber app.
After realizing their mistake, the students exited the vehicle to order another ride. Shortly afterwards, the driver returned, confronted them on the street, and accused them of not paying the fare. Buchen-Ray said receipts show the ride had been paid for.
According to the family’s attorney, Jordan Finfer, the situation escalated when the driver allegedly kicked Ray in the groin. Ray responded by pushing the driver, who fell. The two students then fled the scene.
The following day, while waiting to board their return flight at the airport, the Danish authorities took Ray and his friend into custody.
Ray has not been formally charged but is being held because he is considered a flight risk. The status of his friend has not been publicly disclosed.
Buchen-Ray said she received a message from an unfamiliar number early in the morning on April 1 that read, “Mom, I’m in prison in Copenhagen.”
She stated that her son is confined to his cell for 23 hours a day and is only allowed to make one phone call per week. She plans to travel to Denmark in hopes of assisting with his release.
“There are going to be ramifications from this,” Buchen-Ray said. “When you’re locked in a jail cell for 23 hours a day, you can’t come out without something.”
Ray has missed two weeks of classes so far, and his legal team expects the case to proceed to trial later this month. However, a five-day court holiday for Easter may delay the hearing.
Senator Dick Durbin’s office confirmed that it is monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with both the Ray family and the U.S. Embassy in Denmark.
