Arrest warrant issued for ‘affluenza’ teen Ethan Couch

Ethan Couch, the 18-year-old Texas teen who dodged heavy punishment after his drunk driving killed four people, is in trouble again.

“We have recently learned for last several days the juvenile probation officer has been unable to make contact with Ethan or his mother, with whom he’s been residing”, said attorneys Regan Wynn and Scott Brown in a statement, reported NBC DFW.

Earlier this month, a six-second video posted on Twitter showed young men playing beer pong.

Back in June 2013, Couch plowed into four people on the side of the road near Fort Worth, Tex., killing all of them.

Tarrant District Attorney’s office spokeswoman Samantha Jordan said the office is “looking into the whereabouts of Ethan and [his mother] Tonya Couch at this time”. Now his probation officer can’t find him, Couch’s attorneys said. Couch’s probation terms stated he could not drive, drink alcohol or use drugs. The person who posted the video online December 2 accused Couch of violating the terms of his probation on four counts of intoxication manslaughter.

Couch was given 10 years’ probation after his lawyers said their client’s wealthy upbringing made him irresponsible.

His attorneys have launched their own investigation into whether he violated his probation.

In August 2014, Fred Couch was arrested in North Richland Hills on a warrant that alleged he falsely identified himself as a police officer to authorities.

So did his defense team’s argument that the teen suffered from “affluenza”, a condition in which Couch was unable to control his behavior because of the extravagant, consequence-free lifestyle his wealth enabled. Affluenza, according to his lawyers, who successfully argued that Couch was so rich, and his relationship with his parents so dysfunctional, that he had no understanding of responsibility.