'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Returning to Texas From Mexico

• comments
• 
• 

'Affluenza' teen Ethan Couch is back in the U.S. after being arrested in Mexico last month. The 18-year-old felon fled to Mexico with his mother Tonya Couch after Ethan broke his 10-year alcohol probation, NBC News reported. The son of millionaire parents Tonya and Fred Couch accidentally killed four people back in 2013 while drunk driving his pickup truck and crashing into an SUV in Forth Worth, Texas, per the New York Post.

NBC News says that Ethan flew back to Dallas, Texas from Mexico on Thursday aboard a commercial flight. According to ABC News, per a statement from Mexico's National Institute of Immigration, Ethan "will be received by United States authorities since he is facing various charges there.”

In 2013, at the time of the accident, New York Post reported that the then-16-year-old Ethan was driving 70 miles per hour in a 45-mile zone. NBC News added that Ethan's blood-alcohol level at that time was three times higher than the legal limit. However, to the public's surprise, Ethan's camp claimed that he could not be held accountable for four counts of murder because he was a spoiled brat.

The Associated Press reported that Ethan's camp utilized the "Affluenza" defense. Using a shrink to testify in court, the expert said that Ethan has "Affluenza," which is a condition where kids of wealthy parents fo not know what's right and wrong and have no sense of responsibility for their actions. The expert from Ethan's camp added that this is because the rich parents "coddled and pampered" their children too much. However, the publication said that "Affluenza" is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a real medical or mental condition.

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson told ABC News that Ethan is currently being held in a juvenile detention center and will undergo a detention hearing on Friday.

Chron notes that Ethan's court hearing on Friday, Jan. 29, may result to him moving to an adult prison rather than juvenile jail. Another court hearing will be held on Feb. 19, where the judge will decide if Ethan's jail time will be extended.

"We've reached a great milestone. This is a day we've looked forward to, when we have them both here and back under the jurisdiction here. We're hoping that the day comes for justice for the families and the four victims that were killed," Anderson said as quoted by Chron.