Tonya Couch Arrives At Tarrant County Jail
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UPDATE: Tonya Couch arrived at the Tarrant County Jail at 2:15 p.m.
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Tonya Couch, the mother of 'affluenza' teen Ethan Couch, has arrived back in North Texas. Couch was flown to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport from Los Angeles early Thursday afternoon. She was in police custody since last week after being brought back into the U.S. from Mexico by authorities.
Couch was seen getting off the plane onto the tarmac. With law enforcement officials in front and back of her, she walked down a mobile stairway and was directly placed inside an unmarked SUV. It appeared as if a dark-colored jacket was draped on her shoulders. It isn't known if she was handcuffed or not.
A motorcade of six vehicles, including a Tarrant County Sheriff's van, then began transporting the 48-year-old mother to Fort Worth.
Couch agreed to waive extradition to Texas on Tuesday, and was ordered to remain in custody without bail until officials from Tarrant County could pick her up in California. The mother is expected to return to Texas sometime on Thursday, but further details about her arrival are not being made public.
The woman's 18-year-old son is known for using 'affluenza' as a defense in his 2013 fatal drunk driving case. Ethan Couch was intoxicated and speeding near Fort Worth when he crashed into a disabled SUV. Four people died and others were injured. He was sentenced to probation.
Defense lawyers for Couch successfully argued that Ethan was coddled by wealthy parents and lacked a sense of responsibility for his actions. An expert coined the term 'affluenza' for this unofficial condition, but the case and ruling were widely ridiculed by the community.
Video surfaced online late last year that appeared to show Ethan Couch in violation of his probation. While prosecutors looked into that video, authorities believe that Ethan and his mother fled to Mexico. After an FBI manhunt, they were found in Puerto Vallarta. The teen's hair had been dyed jet black, as opposed to his normal blonde look.
Tonya Couch was flown to Los Angeles last week -- rather than Texas -- due to flight scheduling reasons. Prosecutors in Texas charged her with hindering the apprehension of a felon, and her bond was set at $1 million.
The family's attorneys released a statement late last week saying that Tonya Couch had done nothing wrong. "The public may not like what she did, may not agree with what she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did," Stephanie K. Patten and Steve Gordon said in their statement. "Tonya did not violate any law of the State of Texas, and she is eager to have her day in court."
Meanwhile, former fugitive Ethan Couch remains at a detention center in Mexico City. An immigration official in Mexico said that Couch's legal process outside of the U.S. could last for several weeks or even months.
