A teenager from Texas has been taken into custody in Mexico after breaking his probation sentence.
The juvenile court sentenced Ethan Couch to 10 years’ probation in 2013 after he killed four people while driving drunk.
The case became well-known after it was claimed Couch, who was 16 at the time, was suffering from “affluenza” - a term used by a psychologist who said he was unable to distinguish between right and wrong because of his wealth.
Earlier this month, Couch, now 18, was placed on Tarrant County’s most wanted list after he and his mother Tonya disappeared. A warrant for his apprehension was issued.
But an official from Tarrant County said on Monday that Couch had been detained in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. According to CNN, it is thought that Mexican authorities will turn him and his mother over to the US Marshals Service.
Police said they were checking reports that Couch may have fled the US following the release of video which appeared to show him at a party where alcohol was being consumed. Couch has been ordered to stay away from alcohol and drugs for the duration of his probation.
Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said earlier this month that Couch had missed an appointment with his probation officer and that he and his mother could not be found at their home, NBCDFW.com reported.
“He never, after killing four innocent people, showed one instance of any regret or remorse and, so, I felt like he would never successfully complete his probation,” he said.
In 2013, Couch lost control of his vehicle and killed four people. His blood-alcohol level had been nearly three-times the legal limit. A friend who had been in the vehicle with Couch was left permanently brain damaged.
Couch pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication and manslaughter, and two counts of intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury.
G Dick Miller, the psychologist who used the term “affluenza” during the trial, later said he wished he had not.
Additional reporting by Reuters
