Missing SDSU exchange student's friends say 'no help from police' in Spain

Missing SDSU exchange student's friends say 'no help from police' in Spain

MADRID, Spain -- Fellow students say that Spanish police were too slow in taking the disappearance of their friend, a San Diego State University exchange student in Madrid, seriously.

“At first, the police were no help at all,” said Regina Morales, who is studying at the same university in Spain as Austin Taylor Bice, 22, who went to Torrey Pines High School and has been missing since Feb. 25.

“They were really rude. They said, ‘He wants to be missing. He’s probably with a girl. He’ll show up when he’s ready'.”

Another friend, Kiara Costa, told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Madrid police advised Austin’s worried friends not to notify his family for 48 hours.

Austin's mother, Pamela, said Thursday, “We’re not going to comment.” His father, Larry, arrived in Madrid on Thursday morning.

“They didn’t take it seriously until his father got here and the [U.S.] embassy got involved,” Morales, 21, said by phone from Madrid.

“Right now, everyone’s just looking for him, putting up posters. We have various Facebook pages.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Madrid police could not be immediately reached for comment.

Details of disappearance

Austin is an international business major. According to Morales and El Pais, he went out with a group of friends last Friday. He was turned away from La Riviera nightclub in the Puerta del Angel neighborhood because he was intoxicated, according to Morales and the newspaper.

“He said he was going to walk home, but he never got home,” Morales said.

Morales said the walk would take no more than 20 minutes and the area is considered safe.

“We’re all really worried and concerned for him,” said Morales, who attends Long Beach State. “We all kind of watch out for each other as exchange students.”

Austin, Morales, and other exchange students arrived at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in mid-January for the winter semester, according to Morales.

“He’s a really good guy. He’s laid back, fun to be with, never a problem,” she said.

Austin's father has been unable to determine if he's used his credit cards or email since his disapperance, Morales said.

Connor Fabiano, who attended elementary and middle school with Austin, said he was surprised to hear that his friend was intoxicated.

“He was not the kind of guy to get wasted,” said Fabiano, who lives in Los Angeles.

“I’ve never seen him drunk. He may have had a beer too many but he doesn’t drink a lot.”

Last week when he spoke with Austin, Fabiano said Austin spoke about admiring Spanish architecture, meeting the people and “having the time of his life.”

Fabiano said Austin had a very close relationship with his close friends and family and that he would have contacted somebody by now.

Brett Killeen, principal of Torrey Pines, said he remembered Austin, who played football, as a “gentle giant.”

“He got along really well with adults as well as peers,” Killeen said. “We hope he is found and is safe and healthy and OK. He is a great young man.

Gina Jacobs, a spokeswoman for SDSU, said: “We’re staying in close contact with the host university, the family and the State Department. We obviously are very concerned.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Leslie Phillips, a State Department spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., said Thursday that the department is aware of the case and “assisting where appropriate.”

She said she was prohibited by the Privacy Act from discussing any details.

“In general terms, we would certainly assist the family and local law enforcement,” she said.

Keep up on this and other missing persons

Would you like to receive email notifications of articles published by this National Missing Persons news writer? If so, click on the SUBSCRIBE button above.

You may be interested in the following articles: Trouble ahead for young tweeters