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Affluenza Teen Is Caught In Mexico

by Melissah Yang

After allegedly violating his probation earlier this month, "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch was detained near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico along with his mother Monday evening, according to CNN. Couch was reported missing by authorities in Tarrant County, Texas, after he allegedly failed to report to his probation officer.

According to ABC News, Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, were detained at 6 p.m. local time and were taken to immigration authorities. U.S. Marshals and the FBI were also looking for Couch, and the 18-year-old is expected to be handed over to the U.S. Marshals service.

On Dec. 11, a judge issued a "directive to apprehend" after there was concern that Couch may have skipped town and fled overseas. His home appeared to have been cleared of personal belongings, according to The Guardian, and Couch was on Tarrant County's most wanted list. His mother was reported missing, though she was believed to have been helping him run.

Couch made headlines two years ago when he received probation after killing four people in a drunk driving crash. Couch's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he fatally struck a group of people helping a driver whose car had broken down. His defense team argued the then-16-year-old suffered from "affluenza," that he was too wealthy to understand the consequences of his actions because his parents did not set limits on him. Couch was convicted of four counts of intoxication manslaughter and received 10 years of probation instead of jail time.

Image: WCN 24/7/Flickr