(Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
LOUDON COUNTY, Va. (AP) – Soccer star Wayne Rooney was arrested last month at a Washington-area airport on a charge of public intoxication, authorities said Sunday.
The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia said Rooney was jailed Dec. 16 after his arrest on the misdemeanor charge by police at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia and then released on his own recognizance. The sheriff’s office released a mugshot from his booking that showed Rooney in what appeared to be an orange jail jumpsuit.
Court documents say Rooney was charged with public swearing and intoxication. He paid a $25 fine Friday.
The sheriff’s office referred further questions to airport authorities. An airport spokesman said he was looking into what happened.
It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the arrest, but Rooney appeared to have been traveling in the days beforehand. He posted a picture on his verified Instagram account on Dec. 14 in an airplane seat and said he was traveling to an auto race in Saudi Arabia.
Before coming to play in the U.S. this year, Rooney, 33, starred for Manchester United in the English Premier League. His 208 career goals make him the league’s second all-time scorer. He was also the all-time leading scorer for England’s national team.
When he joined Washington-based D.C. United, he became the latest in a series of European stars to play for U.S.-based Major League Soccer late in their careers. He helped the team reach the playoffs last year.
The Washington-based team said in a statement that it was aware of news reports of the arrest, but declined further comment.
“We understand the media’s interest in this matter but we believe this is a private matter for Wayne that D.C. United will handle internally,” the team said.
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