ABC Sports Reporter Erin Hawksworth broke the news that D.C. United Designated Player Wayne Rooney was arrested on a public swearing/intoxication misdemeanor charge at Dulles Airport on December 16. Rooney paid a $25 fine (and $91 in fees) and was released, though the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office did capture a mugshot as part of their report on the incident:
#BREAKING here is the booking photo of DC United’s Wayne Rooney after getting arrested on 12/16/18 for public intoxication in Loudoun County. pic.twitter.com/p9GYtaDfz4
— Scott Abraham (@ScottABC7) January 6, 2019
When contacted, United issued a statement:
We are aware of the news reports indicating that Wayne Rooney was arrested in December. We understand the media’s interest in this matter but believe this is a private matter for Wayne that D.C. United will handle internally. We have no further comment on the situation.
This is not Rooney’s first brush with alcohol-related crime. He has a driver both in D.C. and at home in England as the result of a two-year driving ban following a September 2017 offense. The Washington Post’s Steve Goff provided further details. Citing a source, Goff’s report mentions that Rooney was detained at customs following a long flight from Saudi Arabia.