Ethan Couch's Father Denies Knowledge Of Escape

On Tuesday, weeks after his disappearance, infamous "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch was detained in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, along with his mother, Tonya. You've probably heard of Couch before. After killing four people while driving drunk, he received merely a 10-year probationary sentence, which spurred a great amount of outrage and criticism. He then apparently violated that probation earlier this month and fled the country. An arrest warrant has also been issued for his mom. So what has Couch's dad said about his son and ex-wife's getaway?

When news broke of Couch's disappearance earlier this month, it led some to naturally wonder whether his father, Fred, could've had some level of involvement. After all, the departure from the U.S. was seemingly aided by his mother, and Fred Couch is no stranger to run-ins with the law. Just last year the wealthy sheet metal manufacturer was arrested for impersonating a police officer, allegedly with a badge and everything. But at this point, the authorities have said that they have no information regarding "anybody assisting." Fred and Tonya Couch were reportedly divorced in 2007.

So has Fred Couch spoken out about any of this? The answer is yes, although it's not a firsthand quote. He reportedly cooperated with the authorities during their manhunt, and Tarrant County sheriff Dee Anderson said that Couch claimed to have neither seen nor heard from his son or ex-wife in weeks. In other words, he's claiming to be in the dark on this one, although there will assuredly be a fuller legal review of the facts to determine what really happened.

It'll be fascinating to hear what new facts, if any, come out about the weeks-long hunt for Ethan and Tonya Couch. Some curious details have already emerged by way of press briefings from the Tarrant Count Sheriff's office. For example, Ethan Couch allegedly had one last party before leaving the States, a detail that's sure to inflame all the people who doubted that his probation would change his behavior and who wanted retributive justice for the people he killed while driving drunk. But Couch (and his mother) will likely be heading back to court very soon.