Mother of jailed teen deported fromMexico

los angeles » The mother of a fugitive Texas teen knownfor using an “affluenza” defense in a fatal drunken- driving accident will likely remain jailed for several days in Los Angeles after being deported from Mexico, investigators said Thursday.

Tonya Couch and her 18year- old, Ethan, were taken into custody this week in Mexico, where authorities believe the pair fled in November as Texas prosecutors investigated whether he had violated his probation.

Ethan Couch was being held at a detention facility in Mexico City after winning a court reprieve that could lead to a weeks- or even months- long legal process in Mexico, a Mexican immigration official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

But his mother was deported and flownto Los Angles, where she was escorted through the city’s sprawling LAX airport in handcuffs by U. S. marshals early Thursday morning. She will remain jailed in Los Angeles until officers can take her to Texas.

That likely won’t happen until at least next week.

In Texas, prosecutors charged Tonya Couch with hindering apprehension of a felon. Her bond there was set at $ 1 million, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Samantha Jordan said Thursday.

Her attorneys released a statement saying she had done nothing illegal and wanted to get back to Texas as soon as possible.

“While the public may not like what she did, may not agreewithwhat she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did, make no mistake— Tonya did not violate any law of the State of Texas and she is eager to have her day in court,” lawyers Stephanie K. Patten and Steve Gordon said in the statement.