UCLA basketball players, including Lonzo Ball’s brother, arrested in China for shoplifting may be confined to hotel for months
The players were questioned about stealing from a Louis Vuitton store and released on bail on Wednesday
The three UCLA men’s basketball players arrested in China for allegedly shoplifting a day before US President Donald Trump’s visit cannot leave their hotel until the end of the legal process, which could last months, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Police are requiring the University of California, Los Angeles, players to remain at their luxury Hangzhou hotel until the legal process is done, which could last days, weeks or even months, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources.
The three students, freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, were arrested on Tuesday, according to several media reports. Ball is the younger brother of National Basketball Association rookie Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The US State Department and UCLA Athletics officials declined to address how long legal proceedings might take.
A US State Department official said the department was aware of reports of three American citizens arrested in China and stood ready to provide assistance but had no further comment due to privacy considerations.
If formal charges are brought against the basketball players … the conviction rate in China is over 99 per cent
Chinese authorities have up to 37 days before deciding whether to obtain official approval for an arrest, said Margaret K. Lewis, a Seton Hall professor of law specialising in the Chinese legal system.