"Affluenza" teen fugitive, Ethan Couch, was found and detained in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta on Monday at 6:00 p.m. local time, along with his mother, according to ABC News. They have both undergone a medical check-up and were transferred to immigration services. They are to then be sent to Guadalajara, and returned to the U.S. on Tuesday.
Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson stated that when Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, arrived back in the country, Ethan would have to appear in juvenile court, and Tonya would be arrested for hindering apprehension.
"They had planned to disappear," Anderson stated at a news conference in Fort Worth, Texas, according to Reuters. "They even had something that was almost akin to a going-away party before they left town."
Both Ethan Couch, now 18, and his mother, 48, were tracked using electronic surveillance, according to CNN. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked a cell phone linked to him, and alerted the Mexican authorities.
They allegedly entered the country by land, according to Ricardo Vera, an official for Mexico's National Migration Institute, and that they did not register, so their entry point is unknown.
Surprisingly, judges may not be harsh with the boy. Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson claims that as of now, the most severe punishment Couch could face is 120 days in prison, because his violations were all under the juvenile court system, according to CNN. If convicted, Tonya Couch, could face between 2 and 10 years in jail.
Couch and his mother disappeared two weeks ago after he violated his probation in a video that had surfaced allegedly showing the teen consuming alcohol. A warrant was issued for his arrest. He had been serving a 10 year probation sentence for intoxication manslaughter.
