Tonya Couch, Mother of ‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch, Jailed For Possession

Ethan Couch made headlines back in 2013 when he killed four people in a car accident while intoxicated behind the wheel. The then-fifteen-year-old was charged with manslaughter, but initial court proceedings blamed “affluenza” for his recklessness, claiming that his affluent upbringing and dysfunctional parents made it impossible for him to recognize right from wrong. As a result of the trial, Couch initially avoided jail time – but was then sentenced to two years in jail after violating his probation sentence and escaping to Mexico with his mother in 2015.

Since then, Couch has been released from jail and has had his ankle bracelet removed. His mother, Tonya Couch, has also been in and out of prison since 2018. The 52-year-old is still awaiting trial on charges relating to her son’s 2015 escape. Reportedly, she withdrew $30,000 and fled with Ethan before they were found.

Tonya was first arrested back in March 2018 and then again in June when she tested positive for use of a prohibited substance. She was given bond back in October, but has reportedly been back behind bars since last Friday, once again for substance abuse.

Her son Ethan, meanwhile, remains free from prison, much to the chagrin of non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who called the release a “grave injustice.”

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