logo
Chicago area college students imprisoned in Denmark for 2 weeks after Uber fare dispute

Chicago area college students imprisoned in Denmark for 2 weeks after Uber fare dispute

CBS News12-04-2025

Two Chicago area college students are being held in a Copenhagen prison after a ride with an Uber driver went wrong. Their parents are there now doing what they can, but they keep running into legal roadblocks.
The two college students are St. Ignatius College Prep alumni, and were visiting friends for spring break in Denmark. Their parents said they got in an Uber, realized they put in the wrong address, and asked to get out.
What transpired next is why they have been in a prison for nearly two weeks.
"Approximately 6 a.m. in the morning, I got a text from a foreign number saying, 'Mom, I'm in prison in Copenhagen,'" Sara Buchen-Ray said.
She was four hours away from picking up her 20-year-old son, Owen Ray, from O'Hare International Airport on March 31 when she got his text.
Now she's in a Copenhagen Airbnb, doing anything she can to get him out of a Danish prison. That's where Owen was put after he rode in an Uber with a friend.
"When they got in the Uber, they realized the wrong address had been put in," she said.
Buchen-Ray said they asked to get out and ordered a new ride.
"Approximately five minutes later, the Uber driver circled back around and found them walking and started yelling at them," she said.
Buchen-Ray says this is all according to video played in a Danish court hearing this week.
The Uber driver accused Owen and his friend of not paying for the ride, but receipts show they did.
"The Uber driver first says 'I'm going to call the police,' and you can hear them saying, 'We've done nothing wrong. Call the police,'" his mother said.
"While they were waiting at the gates to board their planes to go home, they were arrested by the Danish police," said Buchen-Ray's attorney in Chicago, Jordan Finfer.
Finfer said Owen was arrested at the airport. He has not been charged or convicted, but Finfer said he was detained due to "flight risk."
"Owen is still detained, is likely to be detained through the end of the month – he's never been charged," Finfer said.
"They are in prison where they're locked up 23 hours a day," Buchen-Ray said.
Owen's mother said she gets to speak on the phone with him one day a week, and visit him one day a week.
Now they are waiting for a trial that should take place this month, but it's the years to come she is the most worried about for Owen.
"There are going to be ramifications from this. You know, when you're locked in a jail cell for 23 hours a day, you can't come out without nothing," she said.
That trial should take place this month. However, there is a 5-day court holiday for Easter, which could push it back. So far, Owen and his friend have missed two weeks of college. Owen is a students at Miami University in Ohio.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Afternoon Briefing: City could force Uber and Lyft to hike driver pay
Afternoon Briefing: City could force Uber and Lyft to hike driver pay

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Afternoon Briefing: City could force Uber and Lyft to hike driver pay

Good afternoon, Chicago. Rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber could soon be forced to pay Chicago drivers more if an ordinance up for debate Thursday moves ahead, a change the companies say would cause the cost of rides to skyrocket for passengers. Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd, said his measure would make sure rideshare drivers make more than minimum wage and get paid when they wait for and drive riders. But critics and the companies say the legislation will raise costs and could even put many drivers out of work. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Federal prosecutors announced today that they will retry state Sen. Emil Jones III on bribery charges after a jury in April deadlocked on all counts, leading to a mistrial. Read more here. More top news stories: Lawyers for R. Kelly claim wrongdoing by prosecutors, say imprisoned singer's life in danger $23.5M lawsuit settlement reached for family of technical surveyor killed in fall from Hyde Park scaffolding Illinois lawmakers ended their spring legislative session without finding a way to plug the gaping $771 million budget gap facing the region's mass transit systems next year. Thousands of jobs hang in the balance. Read more here. More top business stories: Apple unveils iOS 26 and a new 'liquid glass' design I-65 fiery truck crashes ignite conversation about tolling, expanding highway The longtime Sky star jokingly acknowledged her quiet exit in a Players Tribune column today as she formally announced her retirement from the WNBA — nearly three years after playing her final game for the Sky in September 2022. Read more here. More top sports stories: Column: Why Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong is content with just being himself How Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. is working to get going at the plate: 'I'm open to the suggestions' Anthony Mateos, who lives in Evanston and has just completed his junior year at Evanston Township High School, has compiled and published a terrific book titled 'Who We Are: Stories From the Chicago StreetWise Community.' Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Steve Carell will speak at Northwestern University's 2025 commencement Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82 The Marines that deployed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump have not yet been called to respond to the city's immigration protests and are there only to protect federal property, the Marine Corps commandant said. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces sharp questions from Congress on deploying troops to Los Angles and Pentagon chaos President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his maximalist immigration campaign in face of LA protests

12 hurt in fight at Charlotte McDonald's
12 hurt in fight at Charlotte McDonald's

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

12 hurt in fight at Charlotte McDonald's

MEDIC says 12 people were hurt in an incident Tuesday morning at a McDonald's in southwest Charlotte. It happened just after 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of S. Tryon Boulevard and Pressley Road. MEDIC says they were called for an assault. Three people were taken to the hospital for their injuries, MEDIC said. None of the victims were immediately identified. Chopper 9 SkyZoom flew over the scene and spotted MEDIC's Mass Casualty bus in the parking lot. It's not clear what led to the assault. We're working on getting more details. This is a developing story, check back for updates. (VIDEO >> 'He tried to kill me': Arrest made in Uber assault case)

Netflix's 'Dept. Q' Wasn't Filmed Where the Book Series Is Set
Netflix's 'Dept. Q' Wasn't Filmed Where the Book Series Is Set

Elle

time10 hours ago

  • Elle

Netflix's 'Dept. Q' Wasn't Filmed Where the Book Series Is Set

Minor spoilers below. Dept. Q is currently taking over Netflix. Helmed by Scott Frank, the intensely sharp crime thriller sees a police detective tasked with the responsibility of forming a unit of officers to solve a cold murder cases. Adapted for TV and based on the book series by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen, the story was initially located in Copenhagen, however Frank decided to swap the Scandinavian scenery for Scotland, earning the increasingly popular series countless fans not only for its stellar storytelling, but also its refreshing backdrops in Edinburgh and East Lothian. To find out exactly where filming took place, keep on reading below. Much of the series takes places throughout the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, and many of its landmarks can be seen in a number of episodes. For example, we see St. Mary's Episcopal Church, the Royal Mile, and the City Chambers throughout the show. At the beginning of the series, we see a glimpse of the shootout which scarred Carl and resulted in the death of his fellow officer. This takes places in a housing estate in The Calders, in Wester Hailes. In addition to this, scenes that show the outside of Carl's home were filmed in Link's Place, in Leith. If you've already watched the series, you'll know that Merritt and William's house was pretty luxurious. This was filmed in Lysander House in Dirleton, which used to be a former radar station, but was transformed to portray the wealthy pair's home. Another East Lothian location featured in the series was the Staggs Bar in Musselburgh, which was shown when Carl and Akram meet the journalist who voices a number of accusations against Sam Haig.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store