PASADENA.
WE LEARNED TWO PEOPLE PULLED THE
TRIGGER.
AND BREAKING TONIGHT, THE OF
A ZENGA TEEN HEADED TO HOUSTON.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING HIS
EXTRADITION?
ALL THE ATTENTION WILL BE ON
ETHAN COUCH WHEN HE ARRIVES IN
HOUSTON TOMORROW.
IT'S A CASE THAT WAS IN THE
SPOTLIGHT FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, STARTING WITH THE
2013 DRUNK DRIVING CRASH THAT
KILLED FOUR PEOPLE.
HIS ATTORNEY CLAIMS HE DID NOT
UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF
HIS ACTIONS BECAUSE OF HIS
AFFLUENT UPBRINGING.
HE GOT TEN YEARS PROBATION,
SPARKING OUTRAGE.
AND NOW MORE OUTRAGE AFTER
VIDEO SURFACED SHOWING COUCH
CELEBRATING AT A BEER BASH.
IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT IT WAS
A GOING AWAY PARTY BEFORE HE
SKIPPED TOWN WITH HIS MOTHER.
AND THEN LAST NIGHT, THE
CAPTURE COUCH AND HIS MOTHER
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN PUERTO
VALLARTA.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE OF THE
EXTRADITION.
AND WE BEGIN AT JACE AT IAH
WHERE IS WHERE WE HEAR HE WILL
GO FIRST.
Reporter: WE'RE HEARING THAT
THIS DUO SHOULD ARRIVE SOMETIME
TOMORROW AMP.
WE EXPECT THEM TO COME RIGHT
HERE TO TERMINAL E.
THEY'RE BEING BROUGHT TO HOUSTON
BECAUSE THIS IS THE CLOSEST PORT
OF ENTRY.
THE EYES OF THE COUNTRY WILL BE
ON THIS AIRPORT TOMORROW WHEN
THE FAMOUS FUGITIVE RETURNS TO
THE VERY COUNTRY THAT POLICE SAY
HE AND HIS MOM WERE TRYING TO
FLEE.
WHEN I THINK WE COULD ALL
CLASSIFY AS REALLY GOOD POLICE
WORK, FOUND OUT WHERE THEY WERE
STAYING AND WHERE THEY WERE
LOCATED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO
TAKE THEM INTO CUSTODY.
Reporter: ETHAN AND HIS MOM
WERE FOUND HIDING IN THIS HOTEL
IN OLD TOWN IN PUERTA VALLARTA.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AT
CHRISTMAS TIME, A LOT OF
TOURISTS DOWN THERE.
SO AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE PRELENT
EVERYWHERE.
IT WOULDN'T BE SOMEWHERE THEY
WOULD STICK OUT.
THEY WERE WISE TO GO INTO THAT
KIND OF AREA.
Reporter: WHEN CAUGHT, POLICE
DISCOVERED COUCH DYED HIS HAIR.
POLICE THINK HE WENT ON THE RUN
AFTER THIS VIDEO SURFACED ONLINE
OF HIM AT A DRINKING PARTY.
DRINKING BOOZE WOULD HAVE
VIOLATED HIS PROBATION.
PASSENGERS ARRIVING TODAY FROM
OTHER COUNTRIES SAY COUCH AND
HIS MOM WERE FOOLISH TO THINK
THEY COULD STAY ON THE RUN.
APPARENTLY THEY WEREN'T RICH
ENOUGH TO HIDE GOOD ENOUGH AND
PUERTA VALLARTA?
REALLY?
HOW PUBLIC CAN YOU BE?
THEY WEREN'T THAT RICH AND
THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT THAT
SMART.
Reporter: WHEN THIS DUO
ARRIVES, THEY'RE EXPECTED TO
COME HERE ON A COMMERCIAL
AIRPLANE.
WE'RE LIVE AT BUSH AIRPORT, JACE
LARSON, KPRC CHANNEL 2 NEWS.
OUR TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES
WITH A LOOK AT HOW THIS
EXTRADITION PROCESS ACTUALLY
WILL WORK.
FOR THAT WE GO TO PHIL ARCHER
DOWNTOWN.
PHIL?
Reporter: AFTER GOING THROUGH
CUSTOMS AT THE AIRPORT, STANDARD
PROCEDURE WOULD BE TO BRING
COUCH AND HIS MOTHER BEFORE A
STATE MAGISTRATE HERE DOWNTOWN
BEFORE THEY'RE TAKEN TO FORT
WORTH.
BUT ONCE THEY GET THERE, ONCE
THEY'RE IN TARRANT COUNTY, THE
MOST SEVERE OPPORTUNITY ETHAN
COUCH CURRENTLY FACES IS JUST
120 DAYS IN JUVENILE LOCKUP.
THAT WOULD BE SMALL CONSOLATION
TO THOSE WHO ARE ANGERED WHEN
ETHAN COUCH WAS SENTENCED TO TEN
YEARS PROBATION FOR A DRUNK
DRIVING CRASH THAT KILLED FOUR
PEOPLE.
EVEN THOUGH HE'S 18 YEARS OLD,
HE WAS SENTENCED AS A JUVENILE.
THAT MEANS UNDER THE LAW, HE
WOULD ONLY FACE FOUR MONTHS
CONFINEMENT.
IF HIS JUVENILE PROBATION ISxx
REVOKED.
IT IS AN ANOMALY OF TEXAS LAWxx
THAT IF WE REVOKE HIS JUVENILExx
SENTENCE, HE WOULD STAY IN Axx
JUVENILE FACILITY UNTIL HISxx
19th BIRTHDAY, WHICH ISxx
APRIL 11 OF NEXT YEAR, 2016.
Reporter: THE TARRANT COUNTY
D.A. IS MOVING TO HAVE THE CASE
TRANSFERRED TO A STATE DISTRICT
COURT WHERE COUCH COULD FACE
MUCH TOUGHER PUNISHMENT AS AN
ADULT.
HE'S NOT AN ADULT IN THE EYES
OF THE STATE AND I WOULD LIKE TO
SEE HIM PUT IN THE ADULT PRISON
AND SERVE OUT THE REMAINDER OF
HIS TEN-YEAR SENTENCE.
Reporter: CHANNEL 2'S LEGAL
ANALYST, BRIAN WICE, SAYS THE
DECISION TO TRANSFER WILL BE UP
TO THE JUVENILE JUDGE OVERSEEING
THE CASE.
HE COULD BE FACING TEN YEARS
IN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTIONAL
DIVISION AND BECAUSE THIS IS AN
AGGRAVATED OFFENSE, ETHAN COUCH
WOULD HAVE TO DO FIVE YEARS, DAY
FOR DAY, BEFORE HE TAKES A PEEK
AT THE PAROLE BOARD.
Reporter: HOUSTON LAW
ENFORCEMENT SOURCES HAVE BEEN
TOLD TO EXPECT COUCH AND HIS
MOTHER TO ARRIVE WEDNESDAY.
BUT AFTER TALKING WITH ETHAN
COUCH'S ATTORNEY, IT'S LIKELY TO
TAKE LONGER TO BRING HIM BACK.
IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE
MEXICAN CONSTITUTION TO
EXTRADITE A JUVENILE.
Reporter: HE EXPECTS
PROSECUTION OF COUCH'S MOTHER TO
MOVE MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
THE TARRANT COUNTY D.A. ALREADY
PLANNING TO CHARGE HER ARE
HINDERING APPREHENSION.
THAT'S A THIRD DEGREE FELONY.
IT CARRIES A SENTENCE ON
CONVICTION OF UP TO TEN YEARS IN
PRISON.