FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 31 (UPI) — The 18-year-old who killed four in a drunk driving crash and used his privileged lifestyle as a courtroom defense is fighting extradition from Mexico, while his mother was returned to the United States to face charges she helped her son skip the country.
“Affluenza” teen Ethan Couch asked a Mexican court to block his deportation to the United States, where he will face accusations he violated his parole by playing a beer drinking game. The process could take weeks.
“At this time we do not have a time frame. We do not know if the Mexicans have the highest priority on this case like we do here in America,” Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard Hunter said. “It’s on their time schedule. We’ve seen these things happen as quickly as two weeks to two months.”
The mother and son were arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Monday after a two-week search. Prosecutors said Ethan Couch, who was on probation from the 2013 crash, missed a meeting with his parole officer in early December, prompting an international search.
Mexican authorities said he and his mother, Tonya Couch, spent three days at a resort before renting an apartment. They were caught after one of their telephones was used to order pizza.
Tonya Couch was taken from Mexico to Los Angeles on Thursday. It is unclear why she was not taken back to Texas to face charges of hindering an apprehension, a felony that carries up to 10 years in prison.
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