Arrested in Santo Domingo!

I was speaking with a friend yesterday, who had been rounded up by the police in Santo Domingo while he was in a park. I was actually in the middle of a conversation with him when the phone went dead and he kept saying that he was scared and that he is going to "prison". I have not been able to contact his cellular since and am scared to death for him with all that I've heard of how the police force operates in the DR. He wasn't doing anything wrong (I am positive of that!) because he goes to the park to talk to me. He lives in Puerto Plata and went to Santo Domingo to visit his mother. Since his mother lives in a really isolated area where the cellular reception is not too good, he had been going to a park where he could call me. Could someone please help me? I am really worried about him.

Cait, I'm sorry what happened to your friend, but if you don't even say his name... how can anybody help you?

Has your friend called you again yet? What does he do? What's the name of the isolated area where his mother live? Or the name of the park? Do you have a local phone number for him besides his cellular? Post this info and I'd give a call to the police or, if necessary, to a human rights organization here and put them in contact with you. Or tell me where he works and I'll call to find out if he showed up to work, or something. Provide also your telephone number.

I apologize for not including any information but, I was so flustered by the whole thing that I wasn't really thinking straight. Thank you for being willing to help me Mariano. My friend finally called today. He got in touch with his "blood brother" & the man was able to find him and get him out. They kept him in jail because they thought that he looked like someone they were trying to catch. But a check of the records didn't turn up anything for my friend. He was beaten up a bit but, otherwise he is fine. He is going back to Puerto Plata today because he didn't want to risk anything like that happening again. Again, I appreciate your willingness to help. That says more for the people living in SD than it does for the officials in the consulates in Canada.