Ethan Couch
Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutor's office via AP
Ethan Couch, the teen who used "affluenza" as a defense in a drunk driving crash that killed four people in 2013, is set to to return to the U.S. from Mexico where he fled with his mother in December.
Couch, who is being held in an immigration detention facility in Mexico, is dropping his appeal against deportation, his Mexican lawyer Fernando Bentitez told multiple media outlets on Tuesday.
"I gave him several options, but he decided to go to Texas to face whatever charges he faces," Benitez told CBS News. The high-profile attorney hired by the Couches said that once the injunction was removed, Couch would be deported in 24 or 48 hours.
"I believe (Ethan) is relieved to be coming back," Benitez told NBC News. "I think he has come to terms with this."
However, Terry Grisham, a spokesperson for the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office in Texas expressed caution regarding Couch's return. "The U.S. Marshals are in Mexico. They will let us know when they know," Grisham told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday. "But we have had false alarms before."
Couch, 18, who had been ordered to serve 10 years of probation, was reported missing in December after a video posted on social media showed a man who appeared to be Couch playing beer pong with his friends — a violation of the terms of his probation.
Mexican authorities arrested Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, in Puerto Vallarta. The two had "carefully planned and timed" their escape to Mexico as evidenced by a "going away party" for Couch, authorities said.
Tonya Couch, 48, was extradited back to the U.S. and charged with a three-count felony of hindering the apprehension of a felon. She was released from jail after a judge reduced her bail from $1 million to $75,000.
However, her son remained in Mexico after he was granted a temporary stay of extradition and hired Benitez to fight his deportation to the U.S.
Prosecutors have filed a petition to transfer Couch’s probation from juvenile to adult court. If he is transferred to adult court, a judge can sentence him to 120 days in jail as a condition under adult probation. He could also face up to 40 years in prison for violating adult probation.
LINK: “Affluenza” Teen’s Mother Released From Jail
LINK: $1 Million Bond Set For “Affluenza” Teen’s Mother In Texas
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