UC Berkeley grad being held in East Timor

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Dr. Stacey Addison, a veterinarian and UC Berkeley graduate, is being held in East Timor after being arrested, stripped, searched, but not charged.

She loves traveling around the world, often volunteering to care for sick animals. Now she's the one in need of help.

Addison is a drug trafficking suspect for a crime she says she didn't commit. It started Sept. 5 when she crossed into East Timor in a private car with a stranger. The stranger picked up a package at DHL and inside the package police found drugs.

Images from the adventure of a lifetime used to crowd Addison's Facebook page. You can see many messages of hope and support. Despite the unreliable Internet connection in East Timor, ABC7 News spoke with the UC Berkeley grad via Skype.

"I'm a suspect in a crime I didn't commit and it's just a surreal experience," Addison said.

East Timor authorities say the man who shared the car with Addison picked up a box containing methamphetamine. Addison and the driver were both jailed for five days. A YouTube video shows them being ushered from the courthouse. Her face was hidden by a pink sarong.

"I don't know how long I'll be here. I don't know what's going to happen next. I don't know what's going to happen with the case, so it just makes everything really scary," Addison said.

Authorities took Addison's passport, but gave her conditional liberty. She must wait in the country for police to complete their investigation. She was told it could take a year.

"Their system is different here in that they have a long period to investigate and I'm sort of stuck in this," Addison said.

Lifelong friend Julie Wei vouched for Addison's character.

"It could happen to any one of us when we're traveling, to be unjustly accused, to be wrongfully imprisoned," Wei said.

Addison hired an attorney to help guide her through the legal process. She says emails and Facebook messages help her stay hopeful.

"I haven't committed a crime, I've done nothing wrong and the facts will prove that," Addison said.

Addison reached out to the U.S. Embassy, but they her they can't interfere with a foreign investigation. So until something changes, she's alone in East Timor.