Ethan Couch, 18, and his mother, Tonya Couch, 48, were detained by authorities in Mexico Monday night.
The two had fled the U.S. shortly after a video surfaced showing Ethan Couch at a party where alcohol was served and underage teenagers participated in games of beer pong.
The incident was a direct violation of Ethan Couch's probation, a 10-year term. The teenager also failed to report to his probation officer on Dec. 10.
Upon his and his mother's disappearance, local authorities, U.S. marshals and the FBI began a search for the pair.
They were caught when the hungry duo ordered a pizza from a Domino's near the Puerto Vallarta condo where they were staying. The condo was a short distance from the beach.
Ethan Couch, who was convicted of killing four people in a drunken driving incident in Texas in 2013, was said to have suffered from "affluenza," an inability to understand the consequences of his actions as a result of the spoiled lifestyle he grew up with. His father, Fred Couch, owns a sheet metal factory called Cleburne Sheet Metal LLC, which earns an estimated $15 million a year, according to the Daily Mail.
"He doesn't believe the rules apply to him. He doesn't believe the laws apply to him," Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said.
The Couches lied about their names to investigators and failed to show legal migratory papers and identification, investigators said. Ethan Couch, who doesn't speak Spanish, had attempted to disguise himself by dyeing his hair black. The area he and Tonya Couch were staying in is known for being inhabited by locals, not tourists.
After being arrested, the Couches were detained at an immigration office in Guadalajara with plans to be turned over to American authorities. They were expected to fly commercially to Houston, Texas on Wednesday, but they filed a legal writ to allow them to stay in Mexico.
“They’re trying to fight being brought back somehow,” Anderson said. “It’s just a continuing string of what we’ve seen all along. We're patient people. We’ll be waiting.”
If and when they return to the U.S., Ethan Couch will appear in front of a juvenile judge, and Tonya Couch could be charged with hindering an apprehension and aiding and abetting. If found guilty, Tonya Couch, 48, will serve time in an American jail. Officials are aiming to have Ethan Couch's juvenile sentence revoked so that the teen can be tried as an adult.
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