Ethan Anthony Couch made national headlines at age 16 when he was prosecuted as a juvenile and convicted of four counts of intoxication manslaughter for recklessly driving drunk on June, 2013 in Burleson, Texas where he was speeding, lost control of his vehicle, plowed into a gathering of pedestrians and struck a parked car. Four people were killed and nine others injured, two suffering serious bodily injury as a result of the collision.
In December 2013, the Judge sentenced Couch to 10 years of probation and therapy at a long-term, in-patient facility, after his attorneys successfully argued that the teen suffered from "affluenza" and needed rehabilitation instead of prison.
Couch became the subject of a manhunt after his probation officer was unable to contact him. On December 28, 2015, authorities detained Couch and his mother in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta after 12 days on the run.
Fred Couch, father, has been charged with criminal mischief, theft by check, and assault, but the charges were dismissed. On 2014, he was arrested for impersonating a police officer, allegedly displaying a fake badge during a disturbance call. In 2013, Tonya Couch was sentenced to a $500 fine and a six-month community supervision order for reckless driving when she used her vehicle to force another motorist off the road.
Money is not necessary a blessing. Just a thought.