Tonya Couch returned to the U.S. on Thursday after being extradited from Mexico and arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on felony charges, according to ABC News. Couch is held in downtown Los Angeles at the Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting Texas authorities to take her back to Texas where she will face a hindering apprehension of a felony charge. Her bail is set at $1 million for her part in fleeing the country with her son, Ethan Couch, the "affluenza" teen.
Sharen Wilson, Tarrant County District Attorney, said Tonya Couch's charge is a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison, according to the Star Telegram, claiming the high bond is to assure she will appear in court.
"A judge will probably lower that, but we will seek to have conditions placed on her where she will be monitored," says Wilson.
Couch's son, Ethan, is wanted in Texas for probation violation on a drunken driving manslaughter case in which he was given a probation-only sentence after killing four people while driving drunk, due to having "affluenza.". "Affluenza" was described by the teen's attorney as a lack of moral code, "meaning his irresponsible behavior and lifestyle were a product of his affluent upbringing and 'profoundly dysfunctional' parents." Ethan remains in Mexico and is fighting deportation. He has been given a temporary three-day stay before he goes before a judge on the deportation issue.
Ethan was transferred to Mexico City from Guadalajara following the injunction.
"While the public may not like what she did, may not agree with what she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did, make no mistake - Tonya did not violate any law of the State of Texas and she is eager to have her day in court," Tonya Couch's attorneys, Stephanie Patten and Steve Gordon, said in a statement, according to the Dallas Morning News.
"I've learned at this point to not be surprised by what these people will do and how far they will go to not face justice," Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said. Anderson's office was making arrangements to receive both Ethan and Tonya Couch on Wednesday evening when they were instructed to "stand down until further notice."
Authorities said the Tonya Couch sold her house, threw a type of "going away party" and allegedly left to Mexico with her son, breaking his probation.