Skateboarder Stuck in Barcelona Due to Mistaken Identity in Aggravated Assault Charge

David DuVall and his best friend Vince Guzalso are currently stuck in Barcelona and fighting a serious case of mistaken identity. To understand how serious this is, it is not a misdemeanor such as stealing, scrapping or being drunken and disorderly, etc.; the case David is fighting his innocence for is for an aggravated assault charge. David had recently traveled from his hometown in North Texas to embark on a typical skate trip with his best friend and stack up clips in Barcelona. However, on March 14th, David and Vince's holiday had flipped from a skater's dream into a nightmare from hell as he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after a man was attacked with a skateboard, similar to David's.

"He actually had this vacation planned for over a year," said Eric DuVall of Van, Texas. "He told me it was paradise, and then I didn't hear from him for four days."

Despite David’s phone showing his exact GPS location at the time of events, proving that he was nowhere near the scene of the crime as well as the victim informing the police that they indeed have the wrong guy. The authorities say this is not enough, and have now stripped David’s passport, banning him from traveling until a verdict has been made.

Just imagine you’re in David’s shoes for a minute; you’ve come all this way to meet skaters, make memories and enjoy the Catalonian culture while cruising your board in some of Europe's first taste of the summery weather. Then one night after the usual schedule, you're taken in by the feds because of a case of mistaken identity, all because you have the same board as the perpetrator and most likely a similar dress sense, the go-to black hoody and beanie or whatever.
Now, you're thrown in jail for five days while having to communicate in another language that you're probably not very good at speaking or even understanding, let alone having to prove your innocence and convince the police that they're wrong.

The DuVall family and their friends are supporting as much as they can to support David's stay and keeping him with a full stomach. If there is anything you can do to help, whether that be financially, somewhere to stay, or even somehow helping prove his innocence, please click the link and reach out to his family. There are a lot of good skaters out there that we are sure will take care of him if they cross his path, but in times like this, we need all the help we can get!

He and Vince are awaiting trial and need a lawyer to help them avoid a prison sentence. The money raised will be used to pay for legal fees, a private investigator, and travel expenses. They are currently detained in Spain without their passport awaiting a trial date.

We hope you can return to Texas safe and sound and sooner rather than later.
Stay safe out there, David! 

If you want to support David, here is his Spotfund page.