American college students on spring break jailed abroad over alleged dispute with Uber driver

Two American assemblage students person been jailed successful Denmark implicit an alleged Uber quality portion traveling for outpouring break. 

Owen Ray, 19, and an unnamed friend, some U.S. citizens, were traveling erstwhile the brace were detained astatine Copenhagen Airport connected April 1, according to Ray’s family. Ray, a pupil astatine Miami University successful Ohio, had been studying overseas and was visiting Denmark portion connected outpouring break. 

"Owen Ray and a person were the victims of an unprovoked verbal and carnal battle by an Uber operator successful Denmark," a spokesperson for Ray’s household told Fox News Digital. "They did thing to instigate the attack." 

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Owen Ray smiles successful an undated photograph. Ray and his person were arrested successful Copenhagen Airport aft an alleged quality with an Uber operator portion traveling for outpouring break. (Courtesy of the Ray Family)

Miami University successful Ohio did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

On March 31, Ray and his person were successful an Uber erstwhile Ray reportedly entered the incorrect code successful the Uber app and asked the operator if helium and his person could exit the vehicle, his mother, Sara Buchen-Ray, told FOX 32 Chicago. 

The concern rapidly escalated, with the Uber operator threatening to telephone the constabulary and kicking Ray successful the groin, according to Buchen-Ray. Ray reportedly pushed the Uber operator to the ground, and the brace escaped. 

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"They went backmost to the hotel," Buchen-Ray said. "They had flights to permission that adjacent morning, truthful they cleaned up astatine the hotel."

The adjacent day, the 2 students were arrested by section constabulary upon arriving astatine Copenhagen Airport to instrumentality home. 

"We impulse the Danish authorities to admit Owen's innocence and merchandise him immediately," the family’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Our household is heartbroken, and we privation our lad location to observe Easter with america this week."

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Owen Ray smiles successful an undated photograph. Ray and his person were arrested successful Copenhagen Airport aft an alleged quality with an Uber operator portion traveling for outpouring break. (Courtesy of the Ray Family)

Later that day, the 2 students appeared successful tribunal and were charged with communal assault, Copenhagen constabulary confirmed to Fox News Digital. Ray and his person were sentenced to 10 days of pre-trial detention, which has been extended to April 24. 

"We are alert of media reports of 2 U.S. citizens detained successful Denmark," the U.S. State Department said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "Staff astatine our embassy successful Copenhagen are providing consular assistance. The Department has nary higher precedence than the information and information of U.S. citizens abroad."

Ray’s Denmark-based lawyer did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment. 

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"The information of everyone who uses the Uber app is simply a apical priority, and we instrumentality reports of unit precise seriously," Uber said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "The operator reported to Uber that helium was assaulted by 2 riders who were aboriginal arrested by Danish police." 

Fox News Digital's Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.