Lawyers say ‘affluenza’ teen may have been taken to Mexico against his will

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Lawyers for Ethan Couch say they’re investigating whether the 18-year-old fled to Mexico, or was taken there against his will.

Authorities allege that Couch and his mother fled to Mexico as Texas prosecutors investigated whether he may have violated his probation stemming from a drunken-driving wreck that killed four people.

His mother has been returned to Texas to face charges, but the teen is still being held in Mexico.

A court hearing today in Texas was postponed after attorneys for Couch said his parents hadn’t been notified of it. The juvenile court hearing was scheduled to determine whether Couch violated his probation and if the case should be transferred to adult court.

Couch became known for using an “affluenza” defense in the drunken-driving case. A juvenile court judge sentenced Couch, who was 16 at the time of the crash, to 10 years’ probation. The ruling outraged prosecutors who had called for him to face detention time.

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