A rich Texas teenager who fled with his mother to Mexico to avoid possible jail time for violating his probation in a drunken-driving crash that left four people dead.
Ethan Couch
“Affluenza” teen Ethan Couch and his mother had a “going-away party” before leaving the country, authorities said as they spoke about their desire to keep the brat behind bars — in an adult prison.
Couch and his mother Tonya were captured Monday in the resort of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, two weeks after going on the run.
The 18-year-old is known for his “affluenza” defense following a drunk-driving accident that left four people dead.
During the sentencing phase of his trial, Couch's attorneys argued that the teenager's wealthy parents failed to instil a sense of responsibility in him - a condition the expert termed "affluenza".
The condition is not recognised as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association and was widely ridiculed.
The mother and son were apparently hiding in plain sight following the manhunt, which began in Tarrant County, Tex., and led U.S. Marshals to the Pacific Coast resort town, 1,200 miles away.
Authorities believe the pair planned to flee, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said at a Tuesday press conference.
"We learned from some interviews what we had expected all along — that they had planned to disappear, that they even had something akin to a going away party before they left town,” Anderson said.
Couch will remain at a juvenile facility when he’s returned to the United States, officials said. There, he faces a four-month sentence for the probation violation.
But officials want Couch’s case moved to an adult court after he turns 19 in April — and for Couch to face up to 10 years in prison.
Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson, speaking Tuesday, said she does not believe Couch’s current sentence is “sufficient punishment for the taking of four lives.”