Ethan Couch, ‘Affluenza’ Teen, Back in Texas After Escape to Mexico

A white sport utility vehicle with tinted windows carrying Couch arrived at a Tarrant County juvenile detention centre about an hour after his arrival at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.

Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, were detained in the resort of Puerto Vallarta in December.

Couch’s mother, Tonya Couch, is charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon. Couch’s lawyers may seek to transfer him to the adult system so he can apply for bail, an option not available in the juvenile system, a legal official said.

Couch was sentenced to 10 years’ probation in juvenile court for the 2013 drunken-driving wreck that killed four people and injured several others. He became infamous after his lawyers argued that Couch, who was 16 at the time, shouldn’t be held responsible because his privileged upbringing had left him with “affluenza” and he was incapable of understanding the consequences of his actions.

Previously, local officials alleged that Couch’s mother Tonya helped him flee the USA after a party video surfaced online purportedly serving alcohol and capturing someone who looked like Ethan Couch.

Ethan Couch, the “affluenza” teen who fled the country in December after missing a probation appointment, is set to return to Fort Worth this morning from Mexico. As required by the Texas Family Code, the 323rd District Court will conduct a brief detention hearing [Friday] concerning Ethan’s status pending further proceedings in this case.

According to The Associated Press, Brown and his colleague Reagan Wynn said they believed their client would complete his probation term without further incidents and predicted the judge would keep Couch in juvenile custody until the February hearing.

Ethan Couch arrived back in Texas this morning after being arrested in Mexico a month ago. His mother was quickly deported, though Couch initially fought his deportation.

The “Affluenza Teen” is back behind bars in Texas-and due before a Judge Friday. He avoided jail time in his sentence for the fatal vehicle crash, yet he could face up to 120 days in jail if he’s convicted for a probation violation as an adult. The terms prohibit him from drinking or leaving Tarrant County, Texas.

Couch’s attorneys released a statement Thursday night saying he’ll appear at a “brief detention hearing tomorrow”.

Couch formally ratified his decision to drop an appeal against deportation on Monday. She posts the bond the next day and is released to live with another son, after being fitted with an electronic ankle Global Positioning System monitor.