"I'm sure it didn't take the police and taxi driver very long to realize Jennifer doesn't have much money, and their price came down to RMB 60,000 ($8,878), which Jennifer also doesn't have," Mitchell said in an email.

Guthrie McLean was detained overnight, formally arrested Monday, July 17, and transferred to a detention center, he said.

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Jennifer McLean said she and her son both had to sign statements about the incident with the cab driver.

She said Guthrie McLean told her the authorities said he would go to jail if he didn't sign the statement because he would be interfering with an investigation, but said he could go home if he signed it.

After they gave their statements, she said she and her son were placed in a "listening room" where the authorities could record their conversation. She said they compared notes about the incident and talked about how to proceed.

"I asked to be excused to the ladies' room for a moment, and they assured me I could come back, but they lied, and they locked me out and made me leave," McLean said.