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[h=4]Mom of 'affluenza' teen says she'll return to Texas[/h]Tonya Couch, the mother of Ethan Couch, is accused of helping her son escape to Mexico.
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The mother of a fugitive teenager known for using an "affluenza" defense in a deadly drunken-driving case has agreed to be sent from California to Texas to face a charge. (Jan. 5) AP
Tonya Couch is taken by authorities to a waiting car after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport Dec. 31, 2015.(Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP)
FORT WORTH, Texas — The mother of "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch waived extradition Tuesday during a court hearing in Los Angeles and will head to Texas, authorities said.
The timing of Tonya Couch's return to the Fort Worth area is now up to Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson, her lawyer said.
It may take until Wednesday to complete all of the paperwork in California, and technically the transfer could take up to 30 days. Anderson said he expects Tonya Couch, 48, to return Thursday at the earliest as Texas authorities seek to prosecute her for helping<span style="color: Red;">*</span>her son<span style="color: Red;">*</span>flee to Mexico.
She was flown last week to Los Angeles after being deported from Mexico.
Once in Texas, she will have a court appearance in front of Judge Wayne Salvant of Tarrant County Criminal District Court, where she'll face a charge of hindering apprehension of a felon. She is being held in California without bail; in Texas, her bond already is set at $1 million.
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Her lawyers have said she has violated no laws.
“While the public may not like what she did, may not agree with what she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did, make no mistake — Tonya did not violate any law of the State of Texas and she is eager to have her day in court,” lawyers Stephanie K. Patten and Steve Gordon said in a statement released before the extradition hearing.
Her son, Ethan Couch, did not show up for a probation meeting last month, and authorities allege his mother helped him escape to Mexico. They believe that the pair fled in November after a video surfaced showing Ethan Couch at a party where alcohol was served; drinking alcohol violates the terms of his probation.
The two were nabbed Dec. 28 in Puerto Vallarta after having been in the country for at least nine days, according to witnesses. Ethan Couch had changed his appearance, dying his strawberry-blond<span style="color: Red;">*</span>hair black.
The hindering apprehension charge is a third-degree felony, according to Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson. If convicted, Tonya Couch could face two to 10<span style="color: Red;">*</span>years in prison.
Ethan Couch is now on probation for killing four people in a drunken-driving wreck in 2013<span style="color: Red;">*</span>when he was a juvenile.
USA TODAY
'Affluenza' teen's mom jailed in L.A.; he's still in Mexico
He is in an immigration facility in Mexico fighting extradition to the United States. His<span style="color: Red;">*</span>lawyer in Mexico, Fernando Benitez, confirmed that he was planning to meet formally<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with the 18-year-old for the first time Tuesday in Mexico City.
Last week, Benitez said he expected a lengthy immigration fight for his client that could stretch well into February<span style="color: Red;">*</span>or beyond.
Meanwhile, a father whose son was injured in the June 2013 crash, said he isn't surprised that Ethan Couch and his mother are in the news again for all the wrong reasons.
The news doesn't mean it's any easier to deal with day to day.
"Every time there is a new development, it's like ripping a bandage off of a wound that was starting to heal," Kevin McConnell said.
USA TODAY
'Affluenza' teen's mom deported, but he'll stay in Mexico
His son, Lucas, was one of the people injured<span style="color: Red;">*</span>when Ethan Couch, then 16 and driving while intoxicated, plowed into a stranded car<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with his pickup truck.
Lucas has recovered from his injuries, but his father said it's important that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Couch face stiffer consequences for his crime. He hopes that may happen this time around if — or when — he is eventually extradited from Mexico.
"I don't think anything will change until something gets Ethan's attention," McConnell said.
Couch originally was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>sentenced to 10 years of probation and a lengthy rehabilitation by former juvenile court Judge Jean Boyd. McConnell believes that sentence was far too lenient, paving the way for<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Couch's flight from authorities last month after a suspected probation violation.
"I know it wasn't an easy decision to make, but I think (Judge Boyd)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>did get this one wrong," McConnell said.
Contributing: Lauren Zakalik<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Todd Unger, WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth. Follow Jim Douglas on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@wfaajdouglas
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